A 

Little  Journey 

Among 

Anconas 


Second  Edition 


By 

H.  Cecil  Sheppard 


Published   by 

H.  Cecil  Sheppard 

Berea,  Ohio 
1922 


-c  <t    .*J  c   **  "     : 

^^4      r  V  :  jc°j  i,s 

s^i- 


Copyright  1922  by 
H.  CECIL  SHEPPARD 

Berea,    Ohio 
LIBRARY. /  Of 


DEFT. 


Here,  beneath  the  sheltering 
shade  of  the  Great  Oak  at  An- 
cona  Headquarters,  our  "Little 
Journey"  begins. 


Typical  "Famous"  Ancona  Cock 


Typical  "Famous"  Ancona  Hen 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Dear  Fellow-Traveller :- 

Every  visit  to  a  strange  town,  every  trip  through  some  well-organized 
factory,  every  interesting  book  you  read,  in  fact  every  daily  round  of  duties 
becomes  one  of  many  little  journeys  that  make  the  sum  total  of  life. 

This  is  a  side  trip — a  little  journey  among  Anconas!  Forget  everything 
for  the  time  being  but  these  lively,  vigorous,  feathered  beauties!  Catch  the 
contagion  of  their  sprightly  animation!  Learn  a  lesson  of  thrift  and  presever- 
ance  from  their  habits  of  industry,  both  summer  and  winter!  Satisfy  your 
love  of  the  beautiful  in  their  contrasting  colors,  brilliant  plumage  and  nobility 
of  carriage. 

In  this  Little  Journey  I  have  tried  to  tell  the  Ancona  story  without  pre- 
judice but  with  a  great  deal  of  enthusiasm,  with  careful  attention  to  accuracy 
of  facts,  dates  and  details  secured  from  historical  sources  and  to  all  my  ob- 
servations upon  my  own  personal  experience. 

I  sincerely  hope  you  enjoy  the  journey! 
Cordially  yours, 

H.  CECIL  SHEPPARD, 

President    International    Ancona    Club. 


!•:•! 


ALL          i 
ABOARD ! 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


A 
BURST 

•/ 
SPEED 


"Who  Is  This  Man  Sheppard?" 

IT  would  not  be  at  all  unnatural  if  some  readers  of  these  pages  were  to  say, 
"Who  is  this  man  Sheppard?"     I  believe  though  that  any  poultry  raiser 
who  has  investigated  the  leading  lines,  whether  he  owns  six  birds  or  six 
thousand,  will  be  familiar  with  my  name  and  some  of  the  facts  about  Ancona 
Headquarters — my  farm  here   at   Berea,  Ohio. 

I  have  spent  fifteen  long  years  in  perfecting  a  strain  of  Anconas,  and  I 
feel  that  I  am  qualified  to  speak  on  the  subject.  Having  called  the  strain 
by  my  own  name — the  Sheppard  Strain — you  can  see  that  I  am  proud  of  it. 
When  I  first  became  interested  in  Anconas  they  were  practically  unknown. 
Today  they  are  well  and  favorably  known  from  coast  to  coast  and  in  several 
foreign  countries. 

So  "this  man  Sheppard,"  you  can  take  my  word  for  it,  knows  some- 
thing about  what  he  is  talking;  and  when  I  point  out  things  of  interest  along 
the  way,  you  will  realize  that  I  have  been  over  the  route  of  our  "Little  Journey" 
many  times  before! 


10 


'A    LITTLE  JOURNEY 


AMERICAN  POULTRY  JOURNAL 


CLASSIFIED  ADVERTISEMENTS 


ANCONAS. 

MANNING  S    ANCONA   FARM.   Coldwater. 
Mich.  —  Headquarters     for      brcd-to-lay      and 
exhibition    slock,    chicks,    egg.;    mating    M.t 

H.    L.    .MaxfioM.   JanesMiU-.    Wuj.                     2-4 

•^^Tlovd    Ward.    Rossie.    N.    Y.                                      4 

SINGLE     COMB     ANCONA     COCKERELS 
for  sale.   14,    »v.    »l".   from    Sheppard.   Madi- 
son   Squate    Garden    winners.    1*5    percent    of 
pullet,   laying   dui  ing  January.     Booking  eggs 
now.     Wvrter  Dyer.    Ml.   Sterling.  O.               2-4 

S        ANCONAS—  BABIES     and     settings     from 
f          selected    purebred    parents.     Order   early.     My» 
Huebncr    Noshkoro.  Wis.                                       4-5V 

^T    C.    ANCONA     (Sheppard    .train)     egg.. 
jib.    17;    pen    egg..    13.     15.      O.    J.    Au.Un^ 

GRAY'S     PUREBRED    Single    Comb    AJ^ 
conas  —  The  best   winter   layers.    Setting  jm* 
12  per   15.  parcel  post  prepaid.    W.  H.  jf*y. 
Ashland,  Va.                                                          ^4-6 

^avCTiport  SiVlowa  City."  la.                      ^3-4 

Fifteen    years    with    this    one    breed.     J.    O. 
j*»a»rs.    IlerifW*    O.                                                      2-4 

SOUTHARDS     SNOWDROP     ANCONAS— 
Eggs,    11.50    per    15.    14    for    SO.    18    per    100. 
Frank  Southard.   Ledford.   III.                          3-5 

SINGLE     COMB     ANCONAS  —  HATCHING 
eggs.    IT    hundred.     Cres.    Hill    Farm.    Hills- 
boro.   111.                                                                      2-4 

ANCONAS  —  PRIZE    WINNERS,    Washing- 
ton,    Indianapolis.     Cincinnati.     Huntlnglon. 
Charleston.     Eggs,    baby   chicks,    mating    list 
free.    G.   Pugh    Carpenter.    W.   Va.                4-6 

CARDELL'S     PEERLESS     STRAIN     Single 
Comb    Ancona    eggs    for    hatching,    from    2S7 
to    :»S    egg    hens.    $2.50    and    13.50    per    1S> 
F.  L.  Cardell.  ,Northl,eId.  VI.                            3-4/ 

SINGLE     COMB     ANCONA     EGGS.     Shep- 
jpard's    slrain.     13    per    selling    oC    IS.     J.    C. 

^f2.50.    15.     Floyd    Fortress.    Byron.    Mich.         4 

HATCHING     EGGS     from     prlie     winning 
R.     C.     Ancona..     13.50     and     $4.50     per     13. 
August   M.   Olson.  Con.l.ble.  N.  Y.                   1-4 

S^      S-      C.      ANCONA      EGGS—  Hogun      tested. 
S      trapnesled    bird,   that    began    laying    at    less 
T           lhan   5    months;   proven    winter    layers,    from 
America',    leading    strain.    12.50    selling.    115 
hundred.      Square  Deal   Poultry   Yards,  office. 

»as  City    for    l«   yr^rs.    Catalog   free.     Porter 

SINGLE     COMB     ANCONA      EGGS—  Heavy 
laying  strain,  fine  type  and  color:  11.  SO.   IS. 
II  50.     SO;     IS.     100.      Mr*.     Ernest     Webster. 
Ch.irle.  City.  la.                                                      2-4 

BECKS    W1NTKHLAY    Single    Comb    An- 
conas. 331   egg  strain,  at  cut   price.;  IS  egg. 
now   13    per    15  or   »12   per   100;    13  egg.   now 
12   per   15   or   110    per    100.      Why   pay   more 
when  this  gets  the  best?     Ernst  Beck.  Leba- 
non    Mo                                                                       3-4 

ROSE    COMB    ANCONAS  —  Choue    selected 
hatching  eggs  from  Iwo  fine  pens,   including 
Madison     Square    Garden     winners:     15.     15; 
IS.50.      30.       Supply      limited;     order      early. 
G.   W.  Slmms.   Lake.  N.   Y.                                     4 

•Sfttar    ANCONAS   are   -vorl.'  s   best   by  test. 
Catalog     ir.c       o.oar     G.     Gu-4.     Bridgeport. 

PAY-LAY    ANCONAS  —  Not    "the   best,     but 
none  better;  Justify   th»-ir  name.     Chicks  our 
specialty.    Glover.  Ancona   Farm.   MHlsboro. 

12  setting,   baby   cluck.  122.50    for    100.   from 
pen.   headed    by    stale   show    winners.     Exhi- 
bition   mating,    of    real    quality    reasonable. 
No  man  will  give  you  greater  value   for  the 
same    money.     Get    my    catalog.     O.    G.    M,  - 
Laurln.    Dillon.   S.   C.                                             2-4 

FARM    RANGE   S.  C.    ANCONAS.    Sheppard 
.train—  Egg..    11.50.    15;    17,    100.     SO   percent 
fertility      guaranteed.       Baby      c'fV.  ks     after 
May    1.    20c.     Ward    Weldman.    Pratrie   View 
Farm.    Ml.   Carroll.    III.                                        4-C^ 

R.    C.    ANCCTNA    EGGS.    Sheppard   .train  — 
*$1.25    per    selling.     IT     per    100.      Mr..     Bert. 

^^eltings.     12.     postpaid.       Edward     Lvhnupff. 

11.  ',0  for  if..  'Henry'Dahlmg.    Elkader.   Ia.3-S* 

per    eg*    and     show     slrain.      Stock,     chid  j. 
ccgi.    See  ad  on   another  page.    Sweet   lir.«- 

f         OWN-LAND       FARMS      Ancon.is.      iJrVep- 
S         slake    winners,    Ogdvnnbui  R.      Clmk^eKKs.  , 
l»th   year.     Folder.     Hammond.    N.    )/        <-'.. 

nnze    co.  kerol.    al    Lll.  hfleld.      Eggs.    13    per 
rV..    15   per  30.   chlx,   3«c.   prepaid.     Earl   Lee^ 

Com'b3  Ancona*  cht.ks.  lie  each.   130  per  1o«* 
Ergs.^12  perils.   112   per   J0«.  ^  *hll>«.«^II 

-BEFORE    BUYING   S.    C.    An.  -ona   chl.  k,  »S 
eg*.,    write    Harry  s    Ancona    Yards,    llroj^i 
City.   Mich.                                                      jt~*J 

>|  H1CH    CLASS    S.    C.    ANCONAS.    Sheppard 

/nieed    SO    percent    fertile.     William    Wtllen- 
borg.    F.mngham.   111.                                                 3 

SINGLE    COMB     \NCi.N.\S—  Dark    eshil., 
tion  IM.e;   heavy  lay-rs  of  .  vtra   largt  wlut- 
eegs;    li.    12;    loo.    II":    chicks.    22c.       Bert 
Mii'h.iei«.   Tilfln.    0.                                                    t-< 

egg   strain.     Circular   free.     Blvhlvr'ajjfatch- 
v.    Stra.burg.    III.                                    /         4   7. 

Hatching    eggs    and     breeding    .to.  k.      Baby 
thick..    25c.     Ko,.hlll    Poultry    Farm.    H.    E. 
Sanford.    Waterloo.    Iowa.                                       3-5 

ANCONAS—  Single  Comb.    She|.|j«d    »tr.utiy 
^  Flock    on    free    range.      EKK».    ll/".    •-•.    T 

sto.k.      For    prices,    write    W.    O      Bourland^ 

/             FOR     SALE-F'ifty     Single    Cu.nl.    Ancona 
"             yearling..      White    Wyandottc.    Ancona   _and 

gan    i.->'i,-.l.      EKKS.    chicks.     Circular.     E.    C. 
Si  harnw.-ber.  Grand   M.-a.low.    Minn.               3-S 

r  World's     Ilest.        See     .ll«|.lay     ad.     page     4»-;. 

da'li'on.   Sh-pp'arUs   Famous   Ancon.is.      ' 
It.    C..    nfleen    >3.    hundred    12"  .    P--n    .' 
Aft.-en    12.    hun.lte.i    li.-f.'1.    !'•  n    3.    S. 
1.-.  n    »2.    hundred    lU'.il).     Wallace   Jt. 

Just  by  Way  of 
Evidence 

the  Sheppard  Strain  of  An- 
s  is  recognized   as  pre-emi- 
,   I   am  reproducing  a  page 
lassified  Advertisments  tak- 
rom  the   American    Poultry 

f  the   67   "ads",   17  feature 
act  that  the  eggs,  chicks,  or 
c  they  offer  for  sale  are  from 
"Famous"  Sheppard  Strain, 
can  be  done,  of  course,  only 
my  permission.     One  other 
n   is   mentioned   twice,    and 
he  other  "strains"  but  once 
j 

hat  better  proof  of  leader- 

—SHEPPARD    STRAIN    f^gle  [  Comh^An  co- 
JJ^M.    Ee0Crn1ne.°'Dei'a1ur.<Iow»r   10°'    '"  "*'  4*-^ 

Pen  1.  ifi'o;  ail  over  two  hundred  eg 
I'.-n     2.     13.     utllilv.     12.      C'.areme    Pi 

Famou.     heavy    laying    strain;    11.50.    15;    !••. 
Too      EliaWhilwood.   Hudson.    111.                2-4 

"    ANCONAS.    HOTH    COMBS  —  I    have 
gaV'teaied'!  '  Henry    RSmUl)tri[!yWil'lu    that 

"ROSE    COMB     ANCONA     cockerel—  Shep- 
y7     nard.  own    April   and   May   stock.    ».>   to   iiu. 

frV'F»1rrm0'sh!rnaiTkle'.eWiSShC'          \2j_±± 

Wcji   Concord.   Minn. 
HERGER'S    SURE    L.V  Y    AVONA      HCrtt 
winners      at      Chicago      Col  -•  um.      . 
Show.     Proviso,     and     <    ac.^o     Dow          f   p 
Show.       Eggs     and     chc^s     for     sal,     OI    V, 

Anconas     Pen  headed  by  grandson  of  Queen 
Hess      320    egg    type:    Rldenour    strain.       Ex- 
hibition   hens    with.  290   ecc    trapn.-st    record 
%•>    per    U,;    utility    eg*s.    12  r,o    per    15.     I    do 
not    use    hens    under    200    eKg    type.      Hogan 
,..st   for  breeder.:   cuarantee  fertility.  Claude 

'   MURRAY  S      SN..WFL.KE       ASH      Crt      f 
Choise  rose  and  si-.gle  co  nb  cockcrt 

S.     C.     ANCONA     COCK^Rr.LS.     1.            ^ 

CRAMER-S  s.  c.  A(Ncv°nNnA;Y~JV'iohpler 

ijySji!  John  cramer<  K'06  Lalte  »-« 

of   them;    15   eggs    12.    100    for   |l«.    1 
Hoy  ^I.Mlman.    Walnut    Grove    Farn    stoc 

S.    C.    ANCONAS—  Raised    fr»tri_  Sh.-|Myird£ 

SINGLE   COMB   ANCONAS—  My    e     ^U- 
ordered     from     one     of     Ameri.-a's        tile 

Mrs.    O.    C.    Waller.    Judsonia.    Ark.        T'hl? 

/"WIILIAMS-     SINGLE     COMB     MOTTLED 
Ancon.-is—  Hatching     egRs.     300     e«R     strain. 
4S  50  sotting,   s-lect   breeders.   14:   utility    12. 
High    View    Poultry    Farm.    New    Waterford. 

puUbet.CE«rHed"ewoI>d  ."train"^    With 
tlnR.     Edw.    Eyl.    1026    Caldwell    St. 

vine.  Ky.                                 stra 

"   s     C     ANCONAS—  Bred    to    lay.     Eggs    for 
hatching      11  50    and    12.50    per    setting  :     18 
per    loo''  Post  paid.      Mr..    Arthur   Flte.    No_v- 

HOLMES'    I.AYWEl.L    ANCONAS 
firsts    at    CoV.seum.      Eggs    for    sale        11 
Holmes.   River  Forest     III.                            311    t 

-wTrTrouR  FI^STSci;8l.ve;rcTe>5  *PThreJ 

SrstJ"a*dU.I"ond'"'    K'n"'^    f°sutrol"g"i{*; 

ANCONAS     (SHEPPARDS)—  Both                 , 

'l^lt^^F^^S:^ 

N-..rih    .'.iro'.in. 

conas—  Eggs  for  hatchffi*  ana  4*y-o            ^f' 
of   quality      Circular   free.  vRerne.rd       .   . 
vcr,   Dept    J.   R    2.  Bellefonte.  Pa.       Snip 

AMONG     ANCONAS"  11 


As  an  additional  and  disinterested  introduction,  I  am  reprint- 
ing an  article  taken  from  the  Reliable  Poultry  Journal, 
which  appeared  in  the  issue  of  February,  192 1. 


Outstanding  Factors  in  Great  Poultry  Success 

As  shown  and  emphasized  in  the  building  up  of  the  remark- 
able business  of  H.  Cecil  Sheppard,  Berea,  Ohio,  the  world's 
foremost  breeder  of  Anconas,  both  combs — has  all  been  ac- 
complished in  the  last  fifteen  years — the  secret  of  secrets, 
however,  is  to  be  found  in  genuine  value  of  the  product  it- 
self— here  also  are  disclosed  certain  foundation  facts  that 
have  made  a  truly  national  industry  of  poultry  culture. 

By  EDITOR  of  R.  P.  J. 

WrHILE  we  were  at  Sheppard's  Ancona  Farm,  near  Berea,  Ohio,  last  fall, 
a  new  thought  struck  us,  to  this  effect:     What  is  the  one  big  secret,  or 
what  are  the  several  secrets  of  the  wonderful  business  this  man  has  built 
up  in  these  little  black  and  white  domestic  fowl?    In  pondering  on  the  subject 
we  took  into  account  a  number  of  facts  we  previously  had  learned  or  noted 
about   Mr.    Sheppard   and   his   methods. 

For  example,  we  were  aware  that  he  is  a  good  salesman,  that  he  had 
"learned  his  trade"  in  this  line  as  a  commercial  traveler,  also  as  local  agent 
a  number  of  years  for  a  popular  rrfake  of  automobile.  And  as  "a  good  sales- 
man" we  had  in  mind  a  good  letter-writer,  a  capable  compiler  of  an  attractive, 
convincing  annual  catalogue  and  the  designer  of  strong,  original,  human- 
interest  advertising — ALL  devoted  with  unusual  earnestness  to  increasing 
the  reputation  and  promoting  the  sale  of  the  Sheppard  "Famous  Strain" 
of  Single  and  Rose  Comb  Anconas. 

Furthermore,  we  had  observed  that  Mr.  Sheppard  is  business  person- 
ified, so  to  state  it — that  he  is  systematic  and  thorough-going  in  all  he  does; 
that  he  has  found  out  that  the  two  words  "business"  and  "method"  are  prac- 
tically synonymous,  and  that  for  a  man  to  be  highly  successful  in  any  line  of 
business  he  must  be  methodical  in  every  thing  he  does  that  is  of  real  importance. 
These  valuable,  in  fact  essential  business  traits,  Mr.  Sheppard  possesses  to  an 
exceptional  degree. 

Also  Mr.  Sheppard  is  a  man  who  believes  in  and  pratices  to  a  remark- 
able extent  both  farsightedness  and  forehandedness.  In  this  respect  we 
hardly  know  of  his  equal  in  the  poultry  field.  He  believes  also  in  being 
ahead  of  time,  never  behind  or  too  late.  For  example,  he  bought  last  spring, 
six  months  before  it  was  actually  needed,  twenty  tons  of  blank  enameled 


12  "^    LITTLE    JOURNEY 

paper  for  his  1921  annual  catalogue — bought  and  paid  for  it  and  had  it  stared 
in  Cleveland,  doing  this  on  his  own  account  because  the  season  before  his 
printers,  a  big  concern  in  Cleveland,  were  delayed  in  getting  the  paper  for  his 
catalogue,  which  caused  him  to  be  late  in  delivering  the  first  lot  of  these 
catalogues  into  the  hands  of  old  and  new  customers  for  the  Sheppard  Anconas. 
Here  let  us  digress  a  bit  from  our  main  line  of  thought  and  quote  Mr.  Sheppard 
briefly.  Said  he  to  the  writer: 

"Getting  my  big  annual  catalogue  out  on  time,  actually  before  January 
1st  of  each  year,  is  a  very  important  matter  with  me.  It  has  to  serve  as  my 
salesman  and  all  inquirers  want  it  promptly  when  they  write  for  it.  That  is 
very  important,  but  here  is  another  vital  point:  each  season,  starting  with  the 
early  spring  when  we  take  off  our  first  hatches  and  continuing  through  until 
jate  fall  or  the  beginning  of  the  new  year,  I  find  it  necessary  in  the  regular 
course  of  my  business  to  make  a  cash  outlay  of  thirty-five  thousand  to  forty 
thousand  dollars  in  the  cost  of  bringing  to  maturity  about  fifteen  thousand 
head  of  stock,  in  paying  for  printed  matter,  postage,  etc.,  also  for  advertising 
contracts,  most  of  which  are  paid  for  in  advance,  thus  to  get  the  yearly  cash 
discounts.  One  can  appreciate,  therefore,  the  harm  it  would  do  me  in  making 
annual  sales  if  I  were  to  run  out  of  catalogues  at  a  time  of  heavy  inquiries, 
or  if  the  next  edition  were  to  be  seriously  late. 

ALSO  PROTECTS  BREEDING  LINES 

"This  same  critical  situation — and  it  is  critical — confronts  every  poultry- 
man  in  my  position  at  all  times  with  reference  to  his  stock  on  hand,  meaning 
his  most  valuable  specimens,  including  those  that  have  won  prizes  and  the 
line-bred  stock  that  produced  them.  For  instance,  imagine  the  plight  I 
would  be  in  if  a  fire  were  to  sweep  over  these  thirteen  acres  of  my  home 
breeding  plant  and  destroy  my  best  breeders,  also  several  thousand  head 
of  sale  stock  produced  therefrom.  But  I  am  not  taking  any  such  risks.  To 
avoid  doing  so  I  not  only  am  now  having  a  large  percentage  of  stock  raised 
each  season  on  our  southern  plant  in  Tennessee  and  also  on  a  dozen  or  more 
nearby  farms,  but  recently  1  have  actually  put  out  on  these  farms,  in 
known-to-be-trustworthy  hands,  a  considerable  number  of  my  best  breeders, 
line-bred  specimens,  all  properly  leg  banded  that  are  competent  to  restock 
with  high-quality  birds  a  new  home  plant  if  this  one  were  to  be  destroyed  by 
fire  or  otherwise." 

But  to  get  back  to  the  "one  big  secret"  which  accounts  mainly  for  Mr. 
Sheppard's  unexcelled  business  success  in  the  poultry  field.  The  foregoing 
factors,  each  and  everyone  of  them  is  no  doubt  important,  but  it  struck  us 
forcibly  at  the  time  we  were  thinking  on  the  subject  at  his  home  plant  last  fall 
that  after  all  else  has  been  said  about  it,  Mr.  Sheppard  could  not  have  accomp- 
lished what  he  has  if  the  product  in  which  he  is  dealing  were  not  of  high  value, 
as'  measured  by  the  needs  and  expectations  of  the  purchasers,  few  or  many. 
And  then  this  idea  came  to  us:  the  place  to  find  out  whether  or  not  Mr.  Shep- 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


13 


Members  of  American  Poultry  Association  visiting  Sheppard's  Ancona 
Farm,  Artist  Sewell  of  R.  P.  J .  fame  took  the  party  unawares  with  his  camera 
while  they  were  having  refreshments  under  the  shade  of  the  big  oak. 


pard's  product,  meaning  well-bred  Ancona  fowls,  are  indeed  both  valuable 
and  satisfactory  in  the  hands  of  those  who  pay  their  good  money  for  them,  is 
right  here  in  his  office.  Without  delay  we  briefly  explained  to  Mr.  Sheppard 
this  point  of  view,  whereupon  he  said: 

"Good  enough!  That  is  an  idea  with  merit,  but  you  are  in  for  some  over- 
time work  if  you  intend  to  go  through  all  of  my  files  and  read  letters  I  have 
received  literally  by  the  thousands  from  pleased  customers.  Just  the  same, 
we  will  start  in  and  here  are  files  containing  hundreds  of  them,  recent  and 
older." 

In  handling  and  looking  through  the  files  used  by  Mr.  Sheppard,  with  free 
access  to  different  parts  of  his  office,  we  were  further  impressed  by  his  orderly 
methods.  There  is  a  place  for  everything  and  everything  was  in  its  place — 
racks  for  halftone  cuts,  for  electros  of  advertisements,  for  different  kinds  of 
printed  matter,  for  catalogue  envelopes,  ordinary  envelopes,  letterheads,  etc. 
It  is  not  every  poultryman  who  buys  envelopes  in  quantities  of  one  hundred 
thousand  at  a  time,  as  Mr.  Sheppard  does.  And  in  reading  letters  of  recent 
date  from  Mr.  Sheppard's  customers  it  was  the  easy  and  natural  thing  to 
arrive  at  this  further  conclusion:  that  here,  in  sample  letters  written  to  a 
representative  poultryman,  are  disclosed  also  the  foundation  facts  on  which, 
in  large  part,  is  based  the  whole  success  of  the  standard-bred  poultry  industry 
of  the  United  States — of  the  world  at  large. 

DISTRIBUTION  BY  WAY  OF  EGGS-FOR-HATCHING 

In  the  short  space  of  an  article  such  as  this  we  of  course  cannot  go  into  the 
subject  fully,  but  the  following  sample  letters,  all  of  recent  date,  from  Mr. 


14  "A  LITTLE    JOURNEY 

Sheppard's  files,  will  convey  our  meaning.  Take  first  the  matter  of  long- 
distance shipments  of  eggs  for  hatching:  a  customer  named  Fred  J.  Saunders, 
living  at  Nicholton,  Ontario,  wrote  Mr.  Sheppard  as  follows: 

"It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  write  and  tell  you  of  the  wonderful  hatch 
I  had  from  your  eggs.  I  set  thirty-four  under  three  hens  and  got  thirty- 
three  nice  strong  chicks,  and  they  are  now  over  a  month  old  and  doing  fine. 
Not  a  dwarf  or  runt  in  the  whole  hatch,  and,  best  of  all,  out  of  the  thirty-three 
there  appear  to  be  twenty-five  pullets  and  eight  cockerels.  How  about  that 
for  luck?" 

Let  us  ask  in  passing:  How  severe  a  blow  would  it  be  to  the  standard-bred 
poultry  industry  of  the  United  States  and  Canada  if  it  were  impractical  to 
ship  eggs  for  hatching  to  far  distant  points?  Not  only  are  we  able  to  ship 
them  from  different  states  of  the  Union  into  every  other  state,  but  also  into 
all  parts  of  Canada,  and  with  success.  Moreover,  our  enterprising  poultry- 
men  are  now  making  shipments  of  hatching  eggs  at  an  increasing  rate,  as  to 
number  of  orders  and  quantity  of  eggs,  to  England,  Denmark,  Holland, 
Belgium,  France,  etc.,  also  to  the  West  Indies,  to  Cuba  and  to  Mexico. 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  BABY  CHICKS  BY  MAIL 

Then  comes  the  recently  established  advantage  of  shipping  baby  chicks 
long  distances  by  parcel  post  with  truly  wonderful  success,  both  with  reference 
to  the  small  percentage  of  deaths  when  they  are  properly  boxed,  also  as  to  how 
well  they  live  and  develop  when  brooded  right,  properly  fed,  etc.  Here  is  a 
sample  case  from  Mr.  Sheppard's  files  on  that  foundation  fact.  Miss  W.  T. 
Shurley,  Bayland,  Miss.,  last  season  wrote  Mr.  Sheppard  as  follows: 

"Chicks  arrived  here  on  record  time.  Came  about  1200  miles  and  every 
one  alive  and  lively.  All  a  bouquet  of  American  beauties!  All  alive  today, 
Saturday,  and  growing  fast.  Are  fine  individuals,  subjects  for  the  prize  pens, 
where  they  will  go  when  our  October  Fair  opens.  This  makes  my  Ancona 
Miniature  Farm  complete  for  a  big  start.  You  will  accept  my  thanks  for  the 
shipment." 

Next,  in  regard  to  the  actual  or  intrinsic  value  of  the  Anconas  as  bred  by 
Mr.  Sheppard  and  others,  is  the  question  of  how  good  they  are  as  layers — 
of  how  soon  they  begin  to  lay,  meaning  at  what  age,  of  the  kind  of  eggs  they 
lay,  as  to  their  marketable  qualities  and  of  how  well  they  lay,  meaning  their 
annual  egg  production,  as  compared  with  other  breeds  or  varieties.  Last 
August,  Mr.  Joseph  Kohlmeyer,  806  Devine  St.,  Alliance,  Ohio,  wrote  Mr. 
Sheppard  to  this  effect: 

"On  March  15th  I  received  25  day-old  chicks  from  you.  I  raised  ten  pullets 
and  ten  cockerels.  They  sure  are  beauties.  The  whole  neighborhood  came 
to  see  my  chicks.  To  my  surprise  one  of  the  pullets  started  to  lay  July  23rd, 
age  four  months  and  eight  days." 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


15 


Another  example  of  this  kind:  W.  A.  Cavany,  304  Emerald  St.,  Willard, 
Ohio,  wrote  Mr.  Sheppard: 

"I  bought  baby  chicks  from  you  last  July.  The  pullets  began  laying  Feb- 
ruary 6th  and  have  laid  at  a  remarkable  clip  ever  since.  From  the  pullets 
from  the  July  chicks  I  have  hatched  chicks  in  April  which  began  laying  the 
following  August  21st.  This  surely  proves  the  wonderful  vitality  of  your 
Famous  Anconas,  as  well  as  their  ability  as  egg  producers." 


EASY  TO  GET  A  GOOD  START 

Still  another  "foundation  fact"  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  standard-bred 
poultry  industry  consists  of  this:  that  prize-winning  stock  readily  can  be  raised 
from  hatching  eggs,  also  from  baby  chicks.  Writing  to  Mr.  Sheppard,  Oscar 
L.  Dunlap,  Junction  City,  Oregon  (note  that  this  is  a  long  way  from  Berea, 
Ohio),  said: 

"Thinking  it  will  be  of  interest  to  you  to  hear  a  good  word  concerning 
'Famous  Anconas,'  I  take  pleasure  in  telling  you  that  a  cock  bird  hatched 
from  eggs  purchased  from  you  was  placed  first  at  the  Oregon  State  Fair  this 
year.  I  also  showed  this  bird  at  Eugene,  Oregon,  Fair,  where  he  was  placed 
first.  It  pleases  me  further  to  announce  that  at  Eugene  I  won  first  cock, 
first  and  second  cockerel,  first  and  second  pullet  and  second  and  third  pens. 
As  soon  as  your  new  catalogue  is  out  be  sure  to  send  me  one.  Prof.  Hubert 


16 


1A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


She  Loves  A  neon  as 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  17 


E.  Cosby  of  the  Oregon  Agricultural  College  Poultry  Department  was  at  the 
farm  today  and  he  spoke  very  highly  of  my  Anconas." 

As  to  the  size,  color  and  other  market  qualities  of  Ancona  eggs,  let  it  be 
stated  that  they  are  of  practically  the  same  size  and  weight  as  Leghorn  eggs 
and  have  the  same  pure  white  color  of  shell.  On  this  point,  writing  Mr. 
Sheppard  last  fall,  Joseph  A.  Triplett,  1326  Sassafrass  St.,  Franklin,  Pa.,  said: 

"I  have  the  pleasure  of  advising  you  that  the  pen  of  Anconas  which  I  pur- 
chased from  you  last  spring  won  for  me  my  first  blue  ribbon  at  the  Farmers' 
and  Fruit  Growers'  Exhibit  held  here  on  the  20th,  21st  and  22nd  of  October, 
when  I  was  awarded  first  prize  for  the  best  display  of  eggs.  I  am  more  than 
overjoyed  at  having  won  my  first  victory.  The  competition  was  very  strong, 
therefore  I  am  the  more  delighted  at  having  won  first  in  the  white-egg  class. 
Eggs  were  judged  for  size,  shape,  weight,  quality  of  shell  and  general  appear- 
ance, and  were  displayed  in  one  dozen  lots.  My  one  dozen  weighed  31  ounces, 
outweighing  all  others  in  both  the  white  and  brown  egg  class  by  four  ounces." 

ANCONAS  AMONG  THE  BEST  LAYERS 

Yet  another  "foundation  fact"  in  behalf  of  the  Standard-bred  poultry 
industry  and  in  support  of  the  Ancona  breed,  both  combs,  is  brought  out  by 
the  following  interesting  letter,  written  to  Mr.  Sheppard  by  F.  E.  Stoneburn, 
now  at  the  head  of  the  agricultural  advertising  department  of  the  Hanff- 
Metzger  Company,  95  Madison  Ave.,  New  York  City,  formerly  a  practical 
poultryman,  later  for  several  years  professor  of  poultry  husbandry  at  the 
Storrs  Agricultural  College,  Storrs,  Connecticut,  and  one  of  the  first  men  to 
take  an  active  part  in  the  establishment  of  national  and  international  egg- 
laying  contests  in  the  United  States.  Following  is  Mr  Stoneburn's  letter: 

"My  Dear  Mr.  Sheppard: — 

"If  you  will  dig  out  your  atlas  and  refer  to  the  map  of  Manitoba  you  will 
find  the  town  of  Brandon  over  in  the  southwestern  section  of  that  province. 
Possibly  you  do  not  know  it,  but  there  is  a  laying  competition  being  conduct- 
ed there  under  the  auspices  of  the  Dominion  Department  of  Agriculture 
with  headquarters  at  Ottawa. 

"I  just  picked  up  the  report  for  the  forty-fourth  week  of  the  contest  and 
note  that  Pen  18  is  leading  by  a  wide  margin  and  that  the  layers  are  Anco- 
nas. Since  you  may  consider  this  as  being  good  material  for  an  advertise- 
ment, I  take  great  pleasure  in  forwarding  it  to  you. 

"We  sometimes  hear  the  Anconas  referred  to  as  being  'tender',  but  it  must 
be  admitted  that  they  have  some  rather  chilly  weather  up  in  Manitoba. 
And  a  little  delving  into  the  figures  (the  official  report  of  what  these  birds 
have  done  under  those  conditions  is  attached  hereto)  yield  some  mighty 
interesting  information.  First,  in  44  consecutive  weeks,  298  days,  this  pen 
produced  1748  eggs,  or  only  a  little  short  of  60  per  cent  yield  for  this  entire 
period.  Second,  that  while  the  average  production  of  all  birds  in  the  contest 


18  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 

during  this  period,  including  the  Ancona  pen,  is  111  eggs,  the  Anconas  have 
averaged  174  eggs  each. 

"Trusting  that  this  mav  be  of  interest  to  you,  I  am 

Yours    very    truly 

F.  H.  STONEBURN." 

WOMAN'S  SUCCESS  WITH  HER  ANCONAS 

There  was  another  letter  in  particular  in  Mr.  Sheppard's  files  that  we  should 
like  to  publish  here,  but  a  lack  of  space  this  month  forbids.  It  was  from  a 
Mrs.  Ellsworth,  who  told  of  the  remarkable  success  she  had  with  Anconas 
starting  with  thirty  eggs  for  hatching  bought  of  Mr.  Sheppard,  from  which 
she  obtained  25  chicks.  Mr.  Ellsworth  at  the  start  was  not  enthusiastic 
about  his  wife's  chickens,  fearing  that  the  work  might  be  too  heavy  for  her, 
but  later  when  he  saw  the  annual  profits  he  built  her  a  new  poultry  house 
without  being  asked  to  do  so  and  the  next  year  Mrs.  Ellsworth  cleared  more 
than  3600.00.  Wrote  Mrs.  Ellsworth: 

"The  new  chicken  house  gave  me  a  chance  to  increase  my  flock.  That 
year  I  had  160  Anconas,  which  paid  me  as  follows: 

Babychicks._  __3  424.35 

Market  eggs.  _  215.75 

Stock 550.00 

Total__.  ..31190.10 

"After  deducting  all  my  expenses  I  found  that  I  had  made  a  net  profit  of  over 
3600.00.  Here  was  another  surprise  for  my  husband.  But  he  always  says 
that  the  profit  that  I  have  made  cannot  begin  to  compare  in  value  with  the 
improvement  which  has  taken  place  in  my  health.  And  it  is  true.  When 
I  started  to  keep  chickens  I  weighed  only  98  pounds.  Today  I  can  tip  the 
scales  at  151  pounds  and  am  proud  of  it.  My  friends  say  I  am  a  different 
woman.  My  husband  says  I  look  ten  years  younger.  It  has  made  a  lot  of 
difference.  I  take  a  new  interest  in  my  house  work,  and  taking  care  of  chickens 
seems  more  pleasure  to  me  than  work." 

In  this  brief  article  we  have  touched  only  the  "high  spots"  of  Mr.  Sheppard's 
splendid  success — a  success  now  represented  by  annual  sales  of  breeders,  lay- 
ers and  exhibition  stock,  also  of  hatching  eggs  and  baby  chicks  that  total 
close  around  one  hundred  thousand  dollars — and  he  does  this  business  with 
apparent  ease  and  comfort!  Mr.  Sheppard  never  seems  to  be  in  a  hurry, 
never  appears  to  be  behind  with  his  work,  nor  in  a  state  of  confusion  or  un- 
certainty. Finally,  an  important  factor  in  Mr.  Sheppard's  business  success 
as  the  world's  foremost  breeder  and  promoter  of  the  Anconas  is  his  Annual 
Catalogue,  a  handsomely  printed,  well-illustrated  book. 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


19 


H.  CECIL  SHEPPARD 

Practical' Poultry  Expert 


20  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


I  didn't  mean  to  let  the  good  Editor  of  the  R.  P.  J.  take 
up  quite  so  many  pages  but  as  he  has  said  some  things  that 
wouldn't  look  very  good  coming  direct  from  mey  I  guess  I 
won't  object. 


Origin  of  Anconas 


I  AM  well  aware  of  the  fact    that    breeders  of  other  poultry  refer  to  the 
mottled  Ancona,  in  derision,  as  "the  old  speckled  hen."      I  am  not  going 
to  stop  to  defend  the  "old  speckled  hen" — although  there  is  enough  senti- 
ment connected  with  her  so  that  one  could  write  a  book  on  that  subject.     I 
gathered  her  eggs  when  I  was    a    youngster — and    probably    you    did    too — 
"holding  back"  several  dozen  on   Grandma  along  about   Easter-time! 

But  if  Anconas  are  speckled — or  mottled,  which  is  the  right  word  to  use — 
it  is  because  they  have  been  this  way  for  many,  many  decades  back  in  sunny 
Italy,  from  which  country  they  originally  came. 

We  are  informed  that  in  their  own  country,  and  in  the  province  and  city 
of  Ancona,  Italy,  they  are  considered  superior  to  other  breeds  as  producers 
of  eggs,  in  beauty  and  for  the  quality  of  meat.  An  examination  of  all  avail- 
ble  records  gives  no  basis  for  the  supposition  that  Anconas  are  a  patched  up, 
manufactured  strain.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  plenty  of  facts  in  poultry 
history  to  carry  out  my  emphatic  contention  that  Anconas  were  a  separately 
defined  breed  of  poultry  twenty  years  before  our  own  Civil  War  started. 

The  first  record  we  have  of  this  remarkable  breed,  of  course,  comes  from 
Ancona,  which  is  a  large  maritime  town  of  Italy,  on  the  Adriatic  Sea,  134 
miles  northeast  of  Rome.  It  is  noted  for  its  fine  harbor  adapted  for  building 
and  repairing  ships.  It  is  said  to  have  the  finest  marble  arch  in  the  world. 
Last,  but  not  least,  it  is  noted  as  being  the  original  home  of  this  great  and 
noble  breed  of  fowls.  About  half  a  decade  before  this  town  became  a  part  of 
the  Italian  kingdom,  Anconas  were  first  introduced  into  England,  in  the  year 
1852,  where  they  have  gained  great  prominence.  In  about  1890  they  were 
imported  into  America.  They  have  made  wonderful  progress  against  the 
strong  competition  of  other  breeds. 

It  is  indeed  interesting  to  thumb  through  the  pages  of  old  Histories  and 
Poultry  Books.  Those,  for  example,  which  were  published  about  the  time 
the  Anconas  first  came  into  prominence  are  of  especial  interest  to  me. 

Anconas,  said  the  "experts",  would  never  make  good.  They  would  never 
become  popular.  It  was  claimed  that  there  was  no  standard;  that  in  Italy 
the  birds  were  of  a  dozen  different  colors;  that  some  were  pure  black,  others 
black  and  white,  other  with  every  known  shade  of  brown  and  tan  mixed  in 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


21 


Two 

Splendid 

Specimens 

of 

Modern 

Ancona 

Development 


22  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 

with  the  black  and  white.     Objections  were  even  made  to  their  being  exhibit- 
ed at  the  Shows. 

But  in  spite  of  all  this  gloomy  prophecy  and  actual  enmity,  the  Anconas 
pushed  their  egg-laying  way  to  the  front.  Out  of  the  chaos  of  color,  there 
evolved  a  standard.  The  great  drooping  comb  and  the  enormous  gills  dis- 
appeared, giving  way  to  combs  and  gills  in  proportion  to  their  bodies. 
You  would  smile  at  the  pictures  of  these  early  Anconas — with  their  tremendous 
combs,  and  their  gills  which  rested  on  the  ground  when  they  ate. 

But  to  get  back  to  the  ancient  origin  of  the  breed.  To  my  mind,  the  whole 
matter  is  shrouded  in  the  mistiest  kind  of  mystery.  Some  claim  one  thing, 
some  another  Considerable  speculation  and  guess-work  seems  to  have 
entered  into  the  affair.  But  I  will  say  this:  From  what  I  have  been  able  to 
glean  from  the  most  responsible  authorities  about  the  ancient  Italian  Ancona, 
I  have  no  reason  to  feel  that  the  modern  Ancona  need  be  other  than  mighty 
proud  of  its  Mediterranean  ancestor! 


Jnconas  originated  on  the 
Eastern  Shore  of  Italy 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  23 


More  Ancona  History 


1HAVE  before  me  what  is  called  the  "Poultry  Book,"  compiled  by  a  num- 
ber of  authorities.     In  this  there  is   a  quotation  from  the  United  States 
Consul  of  Belgim,  dated    in     1893,    stating    that    "A  company  has  been 
formed  for  egg-production  in  the  Province  of  Leige,  called  the'Societe  Belge- 
Italienne,'   for  the    purpose  of  importing  hens  from  Italy  which  would  lay 
throughout  the  winter.     This  company  does  a  large  business.     It  should  be 
noted  that  the  Italian  fowls  are  chosen  in  preference  to  the  English;  they  are 
shipped  at  Padua.    In  the  transit,  the  mortality  is  only  one  per  thousand." 

I  should  like  to  comment,  at  this  point,  on  two  facts  in  that  quotation. 
This  company  was  formed  for  the  express  purpose  of  importing  a  special  kind 
of  hen  (Anconas)  from  Italy  which  would  "lay  throughout  the  winter.11  This  is 
one  of  the  outstanding  characteristics  of  all  worthy  Anconas — they  are 
supremely  superior  to  other  strains  because  of  their  exceptional  industry 
even  during  the  severest  winter  weather.  They  seem  to  thrive  on  hardship. 

This  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  temperature  varies  tremendously  in 
their  native  country — from  below  zero  in  some  sections  to  108°  above  only 
comparatively  few  miles  distant. 

The  second  fact  I  wish  to  emphasize  is  the  low  mortality  rate  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  these  shipments  were  made  under  the  crude  conditions  which  existed 
back  in  1893.  This  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  same  hardy,  vital  charac- 
teristics which  have  won  for  Anconas  their  name  of  being  great  winter  layers. 

Another  writer  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  would  have  been  a  very 
easy  matter,  provided  Anconas  were  a  "manufactured"  breed,  to  have  called 
them  "mottled  leghorns" — simply  adding  another  type  to  the  leghorn  family. 
I  will  admit  that  had  this  been  done  it  would  have  removed  a  handicap  by 
classing  them  with  so  well  known  and  popular  a  family  as  the  leghorn.  The 
fact  that  no  effort  has  been  made  to  change  their  style  distinction  from  Anconas 
to  mottled  leghorns  is  pretty  strong  proof  to  me — were  any  required — that 
any  doubts  as  to  their  origin  are  positively  without  justification. 

Now  I  should  like  to  read  just  a  scrap  or  two  from  another  book  called 
"Origin  and  History  of  All  Breeds  of  Poultry,"  which  is  recognized  as  an 
authority. 

"The  fact  that  Anconas  are  known  under  the  head  of  the  Spanish  breeds 
does  not  indicate  that  they  came  originally  from  Spain.  They  were  brought 
to  that  country  from  some  point  in  the  East,  through  the  Mediterranean. 

The  above-mentioned  book,  speaking  of  the  ideal  Ancona,  states:  "In  shape 
and  form  the  standard  requirements  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  leghorn. 


24  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


They  are  of  the  Spanish  group,  being  somewhat  larger  than  the  leghorn.  The 
plumage  is  beetle-green  ground  (almost  a  jet  black),  the  feathers  tipped  with 
white,  evenly  mottled  throughout,  with  no  tendency  to  lacing.  Shanks  and 
toes  yellow  or  yellow  shaded  or  mottled  with  black.  Wattles  red,  ear  lobes 
white.  They  are  non-setters,  and  exceedingly  good  layers." 

When  one  begins  to  search  out  the  history  of  Anconas,  it  takes  one  back, 
naturally  enough,  to  the  ancient  Jungle  Fowl  of  India.  It  was  probably 
from  thisgamey,  wild-eyed  bird  that  our  modern  egg-machines  have  descended. 
The  Jungle  Fowl  laid  no  more  than  a  dozen  or  twenty  eggs  a  year,  and  even 
these  were  not  in  demand  as  articles  for  the  ancient  table.  The  difference 
between  this  20-egg  Jungle  Fowl  and  the  modern  300-egg  breeds  represents 
the  achievement  of  centuries  of  poultry  culture. 

In  tracing  the  antiquity  of  the  domesticated  hen,  the  following  facts  have 
been  mentioned:  When  Peter  denied  the  Saviour  the  cock  crowed  thrice, 
which  shows  us  that  the  fowl  was  domesticated  at  the  time  of  the  Christian 
Era.  Mention  is  made  of  cock-fighting  in  the  Codes  of  Mann,  a  thousand 
years  or  more  before  Christ.  A  Chinese  encyclopedia,  1400  years  B.  C., 
mentions  the  fowl.  Figures  on  Babylonian  cylinders  show  that  fowls  were 
known  in  the  seventh  century.  Ancient  Greek  authors,  living  about  500  B.  C. 
refer  to  the  fowl  as  if  it  were  fairly  common. 

Thus  one  can  see  that  in  many  lands  and  many  centuries  ago,  the  Jungle 
Fowl  had  been  tamed  and  had  already  begun  its  long  and  honorable  career 
of  service  to  mankind. 

Before  I  leave  the  subject  of  Ancona  History,  I  wish  to  emphasize  one  point 
again.  You  probably  noted  that  the  first  importation  of  Anconas  to  Europe 
was  made  with  this  single  purpose — Winter  Egg  Production.  The  company 
organized  to  this  end  was  open  and  above-board  about  it.  They  came  right 
out  and  said  that  they  were  going  into  business  for  the  purpose  of  importing 
hens  which  would  "lay  throughout  the  winter"! 

And  just  to  show  that  the  modern  Ancona  still  possesses  this  winter-lay- 
ing habit,  I  am  going  to  quote  from  a  few  of  my  many  enthusiastic  letters 
from  customers  on  this  point: 

40  Degrees  Below  Zero 

North  Dakota. —  From  the  original  start  of  eggs  that  I  purchased  from  you, 
my  utility  flock  of  40  pullets  laid  during  the  month  of  February  435  eggs  and 
there  was  not  a  day  during  February  that  the  thermometer  registered  above 
20  below  zero  here  and  about  10  days  out  of  the  month  is  was  40  below  zero. 
These  same  40  pullets  produced  884  eggs  in  March  and  the  first  part  of  March 
was  cold  too.  They  did  not  hit  their  stride  until  the  middle  of  March  and 
and  after  that  I'll  tell  you  they  have  been  going  some. — H.  W. 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


25 


408  Eggs  In  January 

Indiana. — My  25  Ancona  pullets  laid  408  eggs  in  the  month  of  January, 
the  coldest  month. — J.  E.  D. 

Eggs  All  Winter! 

Ohio. — I  am  well  pleased  with  the  Ancona.  It  makes  me  feel  pretty  good 
to  get  eggs  all  winter  when  my  neighbors  are  not  getting  any. — C.  W.  K. 

Extreme  Cold  Zero  Weather 

Ohio. — The  fifty  baby  chicks  arrived  in  splendid  condition  on  July  17. 
We  raised  them  all.  They  are  laying  fine.  Began  laying  December  18. 
During  the  extreme  cold  zero  weather  the  cold  has  no  effect  on  them.  One 
man  told  us  we  would  not  get  any  eggs  before  spring  from  these  pullets.  They 
surprised  us  all.  Have  tried  several  different  breeds,  but  Anconas  for  us. 

J.  H.  H. 

It  Was  20  Degrees  Below  Zero 

Indiana. — Never  in  my  life  have  I  seen  such  busy  chickens  as  the  Anconas. 
I  went  out  on  the  4th  of  January  and  got  my  eggs  just  the  same  and  it  was 
20  degrees  below  zero  that  morning,  and  I  can  hardly  express  myself  how 
well  pleased  I  am  with  them. — S.  S.  M. 


One  day's  shipment  of  eggs 


26  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


The  Ideal  Ancona  Shape 

THE  true  Ancona  shape  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Leghorn,  with  the  except- 
tion  that  the  body  is  somewhat  longer  and  deeper — built  of  a  somewhat 
broader  "wheel  base",  so  to  speak.      This  feature  gives  them  the  ad- 
vantage  as  egg   producers. 

There  are  two  varieties — Rose  and  Single  Comb — with  absolutely  no  dif- 
ference except  in  the  comb  itself.  The  Single  Comb  was  the  first  to  be  im- 
ported to  this  country,  and  because  this  variety  is  somewhat  more  spectacular 
in  appearance,  it  has  gained  a  wider  popularity.  But  the  Rose  Comb,  where- 
ever  it  has  been  raised,  has  won  favor.  It  is  merely  a  matter  of  personal 
preference — there  isn't  the  slightest  difference  in  their  inherent  good  qualities, 
behaviour  or  beauty  apart  from  the  comb  itself. 

Speaking  generally,  the  Ancona  Head  is  moderate  in  length,  fairly  deep, 
and  fine  in  texture.  The  Beak  is  nicely  curved,  and  the  Eyes  are  medium  in 
size  and  nearly  round.  The  Wattles  are  thin,  well-rounded,  and  smooth  in 
texture;  the  Ear-Lobes  are  moderate  in  size,  free  from  folds  and  wrinkles,  and 
fit  up  closely  to  the  head.  The  Neck  of  the  Ancona  male  is  long,  nicely  arched, 
and  the  hackle  flows  down  well  over  the  shoulders.  The  Neck  of  the  Female 
is  long,  slender,  and  gracefully  arched.  The  Wings  are  large  and  well  folded. 
The  Back  is  of  good  length,  sloping  downward  from  the  shoulders  and  then 
sweeping  upward  to  the  tail.  The  Breast  is  full,  broad  and  carried  well  for- 
ward. The  Legs  are  slender,  moderately  long;  the  Toes  are  straight.  The 
Tail  of  the  Male  is  large  and  well  spread,  with  the  feathers  carried  at  an  angle 
of  about  45  degrees  above  the  horizontal.  That  of  the  female  is  neatly-formed 
and  carried  well  out  from  the  body  at  the  same  angle — 45  degrees. 

I  would  not  say  that  the  highest  type  of  Ancona  development  is  character- 
ized by  the  almost  perpendicular  "squirrel"  tail.  In  fact,  I  prefer  the  tail 
that  is  carried  at  an  angle  of  no  higher  than  45  degrees — slightly  lower  than 
that,  if  anything.  Like  all  other  variations,  the  too  perpendicular  tail  can 
be  made  to  yield  to  skillful  breeding.  Not  that  the  tail  should  droop!  This 
I  have  never  advocated,  but  I  do  believe  that  the  tail  can  be  carried  in  a  regal, 
lordly  manner  without  having  it  point  straight  up  in  the  air! 

The  English  fancier,  I  sometimes  think,  has  gone  in  more  for  developing 
freak  points  of  the  Ancona — which,  of  course,  can  be  done  with  any  breed  of 
poultry.  He  has  been  breeding  a  comb  with  five  to  seven  serrations,  the 
blade  following  the  lines  of  the  neck. 

On  this  point  American  breeders  differ  more  than  on  the  other.  The  ideal 
comb  in  this  country  has  five  serrations  with  the  blade  leaving  the  neck  at  the 
head  and  curving  upward. 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


27 


The  diagrammatic  comparison  sketches  the  ideal  Ancona  shape  with  the 
parallelogram  body  as  compared  with  the  inefficient  shape  of  the  cockerel 
in  the  triangle.  This  parallelogram  indicates  the  alert,  vigorous  body  as 
compared  with  the  weak,  ill-supported  triangular-shaped  body. 


28 


'A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


I  consider  the  selection  of  a  male  bird  very  important,  since  this  fowl  is 
the  basis  of  flock  vitality  and  large  egg  production.  You  can  distinguish 
the  ideal  Ancona  bird  by  his  full,  deep  breast,  well  rounded  abdomen,  power- 
ful legs,  set  quite  far  apart,  his  broad,  strong  back,  and  here  are  some  other 
points  to  look  for. 

Pick  out  a  handsome  fellow  with  a  long  back,  slightly  sloping  downward  to 
the  tail,  with  no  apparent  angle — just  a  slight  upward,  sweeping  curve — at 
the  tail.  His  tail  ought  to  be  carried  at  an  angle  of  40°  or  45°,  but  it  is  better 
to  be  a  little  lower  than  too  high.  The  head,  and  expecially  the  comb,  should 
be  as  near  perfect  as  possible.  The  comb  is  the  first  thing  that  is  noticed  in  a 
bird  and  is  naturally  very  prominent  because  of  its  flashing  red  against  the 
black  and  white  background  of  the  body. 

I  will  quote  the  comments  of  the  American  Poultry  Journal  on  one  of  my 
Madison  Square  Garden  Prize-winning  cocks  at  this  point: 

"First  cock  had  balance,  good  head,  nice  back  and  tail;  snappy  ticking  in 
breast,  fluff  and  wing  bar.  This  question  of  balance  is  of  primary  importance 
in  the  breed.  Too  many  males  are  low  behind,  breast  high  and  tail  shooting 
up.  Get  the  legs  in  the  center  of  the  bird  and  he  will  have  better  balance. 
To  do  this,  breed  females  whose  legs  come  out  at  their  middle  and  not  out  of 
their  rear.  Sheppard  beat  the  others  to  it  on  balance  in  his  males.  He  had 
it  in  his  males  last  year,  and  comes  back  again  this  year." 

You  can  see  that  I  regard  the  shape  and  balance  of  the  male  bird  as  of 
considerable  importance,  and  that  good  shape  is  a  characteristic  of  the  Shep- 
pard  Strain. 

Ancona  females  of  good  shape  have  long  bodies,  and  an  easy,  graceful 
carriage.  They  possess  what  I  would  call  a  "capacious"  body,  with  plenty 
of  room  for  the  formation  of  eggs. 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


29 


The  Ideal  Ancona  Color 

ANCONA  color  is  black  mottled  with  white.      Many  other  birds  run  to 
various  colors,  causing  a  confusion  to  raising,  but  it  is  easy  to  remember 
that  Anconas  are  simply  the  one  combination:  the  mottled  black  and 
white.     To  be  sure,  the  black  is  a  beautiful  and  lustrous  rich  black,  with  a 
clean,  sharp  white  contrasting,  and  the  combs  are  brilliant  red.     You  can 
understand  why  this  contrasty  combination  of  colors,  together  with  the  superb 
carriage  of  Anconas,  makes  them  the  world's  leaders  in  point  of  beauty  and 
charm.     They  appeal  both  to  the  artistic  and  the  practical. 

Note  the  sharp  clean  white  tips  of  these  Ancona  feathers.  Spread  out 
on  the  background  of  a  beautiful,  lustrous  black  with  a  slight  greenish  sheen, 
the  markings  of  the  Ancona  are  truly  striking. 

An  all  black  or  a  nearly  black  Ancona  is  a  freak  type,  the  result  of  some 
faddist's  dream.  We  will  give  the  English  credit  once  more  for  sending  the 


5H£PPARD'5      AN  COMAS, 


30 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


warning  in  time  and  enabling  all  Ancona  breeders  to  get  back  on  the  beaten 
track  with  well  mottled  Anconas.  When  an  Ancona  ceases  to  be  mottled, 
it  will  cease  to  be  an  Ancona. 

The  ideal  feather  is  black  with  a  slight  greenish  sheen,  with  a  white  tip. 
The  feather  is  dark  color  to  the  skin,  whereas  the  white  portion  on  the  tip  is 
sharp  and  distinct  as  illustrated.  The  old  standard  required  a  white  tip  on 
each  and  every  feather.  This  has  been  very  difficult  to  produce.  It  is 
objectionable  on  account  of  too  much  white,  having  a  tendency  to  make  the 
birds  too  light  in  color,  which  detracts  from  their  beauty — and  after  all,  this 
point  of  color  is  one  which  concerns  beauty  rather  than  utility.  The  revision 
committee  has  changed  the  standard  to  read  a  white  tip  on  every  fifth  feather. 
This  will  enhance  their  beauty  and  doubtless  meet  with  the  approval  of  the 
majority  of  other  breeders. 

Avoid  objectionable  purple  barring.  You  are  going  to  be  disappointed  if 
you  possess  Anconas  perfect  in  every  other  detail  except  this  one  of  too  much 
purple.  Some  judges  will  pass  birds  on  this  one  point  alone.  The  beak 
should  be  yellow  with  black  or  dark  brown  shadings.  The  iris  of  the  eyes  is 
a  bright  orange  red  with  a  hazel  pupil. 

The  face  of  the  worthy  Ancona  is  so  bright  as  to  almost  be  called  intelligent — 
and  who  will  say  that  birds  do  not  possess  real  intelligence?  The  face  and 
wattles  are  of  a  bright  red,  with  the  face  free  from  white.  Ear  lobes  are 


One  of  the  many  flocks  of  promising  youngsters  found  on  Sheppard's  Ancona 
Farm,  where  thousands  of  this  popular  breed  are  raised  annually 


AMONG    ANCONAS"  31 


white  or  creamy  white,  although  some  red  is  found  in  the  ear  lobes  of  most 
flocks.  English  breeders  favor  yellow  mottled  legs.  The  American  standard 
calls  for  yellow  or  yellow  mottled  with  black. 

Anconas  are  very  beautiful  even  from  the  fluffy  yellow  and  black  baby 
chick  period.  As  they  mature  from  babyhood  Ancona  chicks  never  encounter 
the  poorly  dressed,  half  starved,  awkward  stage  common  to  most  young  fowls. 
Raisers  declare  that  they  are  attractive  and  graceful  every  day  of  their  lives. 
Those  who  have  had  experience  with  Anconas  can  appreciate  this  point. 
Naturally,  breeding  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  this.  We  are  speaking  of 
thoroughbred  Anconas. 


The  Ideal  Ancona  Size 


AS  I  have  already  emphasized,  Anconas  are  primarily  an  egg  breed. 
This  is  their  first  and  greatest  virtue  and  it  is  one  that  appeals  to  the 
average  person  because  the  biggest  profit  in  the  poultry  business  is 
in  eggs. 

Anconas  need  to  be  just  large  enough  so  that  they  can  retain  in  their  bodies 
sufficient  vitality  to  produce  eggs  prolifically  and  systematically — and  they've 
sufficient  size,  but  no  "surplus  baggage."  There  is  much  more  money  in 
producing  four  legged  animals  for  meat  than  to  raise  poultry  for  the  profit  in 
meat. 

Anconas  will  lay  satisfactorily  for  two  or  three  years  longer  than  any  of 
the  heavy  breeds  of  poultry  and  it  doesn't  take  very  many  dozen  eggs  to  make 
up  the  entire  cost  of  what  one  would  secure  for  a  carcass. 

The  Ancona  is  slightly  larger  than  the  leghorn,  mature  females  weighing 
four  to  five  pounds,  and  occasionally  six.  The  males  weigh  five  to  six,  and 
sometimes  a  pound  more  than  that.  For  a  time  breeders  favored  extra  size, 
but  they  found  themselves  getting  away  from  the  dominant  merit  of  Anconas 
and  in  securing  size  were  losing  out  on  the  egg  production  end.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  in  my  early  experience  I  had  Ancona  males  weighing  nine  and  a  half 
pounds  dressed,  but  found  that  these  extra  large  birds  did  not  produce  layers. 
If  size  did  not  interfere  with  egg  yield,  I  would  prefer  a  bigger  bird.  But  it 
is  eggs  we  are  after,  eggs  that  will  pay,  and  eggs  you  will  get  from  Anconas,  so 
I  endeavor  to  breed  as  large  as  possible  without  injuring  the  laying  qualities 
of  the  strain. 

Another  point  in  favor  of  the  small  bird  is  that  five  of  them  will  eat  no  more 
than  three  of  the  large  varieties — and  they  do  not  tend  to  get  broody.  They 
occupy  less  floor  space.  It  would  be  natural  if  you  concluded  that  they  laid 
smaller  eggs,  but  this  is  not  the  case.  Anconas  lay  large  white  eggs  which  get 
top  market  prices. 

I  do  not  favor  small,  undersized  birds.  I  believe  you  will  agree  with  me  that 
the  ability  to  lay  eggs  abundantly  is  the  noblest  and  greatest  ambition  a  hen 
can  be  entrusted  with. 


AMONG    ANCONAS"  33 


A  Few  Remarks  on  Poultry  Breeding 

ONE  could  write  a  book  on   the  subject  of  Poultry  Breeding,  and  then 
not  tell  the  whole  story.      It   is    a   subject   which   is   intensely  inter- 
esting because  it  is  difficult  to  pin  it  down  to  cold,  unchanging  facts  and 
hold  it  [there.     Just  as  you  have  some  theory  or  other  very  comfortably  es- 
tablished in  your  mind,  something  happens  that  proves  you  were  all    wrong. 

We  usually  think  of  the  scientific  breeding  of  poultry  as  a  more  or  less  modern 
practice.  Yet  it  seems  to  be  a  fact  that  the  ancients  must  have  known  some- 
thing of  the  principles  of  breeding  and  followed  them — else  how  can  one  ex- 
plain the  distinct  and  different  breeds  which  existed  centuries  ago?  At 
the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Era  the  Romans  possessed  six  or  seven  breeds. 
The  semi-barbarous  natives  of  the  Philippine  Islands  about  fifty  years  ago 
had  no  less  than  nine  varieties  of  the  game  fowl.  Darwin  says  that  "not 
only  careful  breeding  but  actual  selection  was  practiced  during  ancient  periods 
and  by  barely  civilized  races  of  men".  All  that  would  have  been  necessary 
he  points  out,  was  the  occasional  destruction  of  inferior  specimens  and  the 
occasional  preservation  of  the  best  birds. 

I  do  not  believe  that  poultry  breeding  has  ever  been,  or  will  ever  be,  a 
business  of  absolute  mathematical  certainty.  The  final  result  of  the  breed 
ing  is  dependent  upon  the  element  of  chance,  and  will  probably  always  be 
thus.  Of  course,  the  skill  of  the  breeder  also  exercises  a  large  influence,  but 
successful  poultry  breeding  is  more  of  an  art  than  a  science.  The  breeder 
is  bound  by  certain  proved  "laws",  but  always  there  is  room  and  opportunity 
for  individual  initiative  and  exceptional  skill. 

The  transmission  of  qualities  or  characteristics  from  parent  to  offspring 
is  controlled  by  the  law  of  Heredity — that  like  begets  like.  This,  however, 
is  not  an  absolute  Truth,  for  no  two  individuals  are  alike.  Male  chickens 
all  crow,  but  no  two  crow  exactly  alike.  Most  female  chickens  lay  eggs, 
but  not  only  will  they  vary  in  size,  shape,  color — but  some  will  lay  300  eggs 
a  year,  others  will  lay  3. 

We  can  discern  here  another  law — that  of  Variation.  It  is  this  variation 
that  spells  Opportunity  for  the  breeder  who  is  constantly  on  the  alert  to 
improve  his  strain.  It  gives  him  a  chance  to  progress. 


34  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Mating  and  Breeding  Anconas 

The  Kind  of  Male  to  use  in  Breeding  Pens 

A  few  years  ago  I  reluctantly  parted  with  a  splendid  first  prize  pen 
Madison  Square  Garden,  New  York — I  am  serious  when  I  say  "reluc- 
tantly"—for  3500.00. 

Permit  me  to  explain  in  this  book  just  about  as  I  did  to  the  purchaser  of 
this  prize  pen,  how  I  made  my  stock  produce  the  beautiful  birds  that  com- 
manded "millionaire"  prices  and  are  still  the  most  intensely  practical  of  all 
breeds. 

The  sire  of  this  noble  pen  was  a  first  prize  cock  at  the  Garden  the  previous 
year.  I  considered  him  almost  an  ideal  specimen.  He  weighed  about  six 
pounds,  very  fine  head  points,  a  splendid  comb,  a  good  long  back  with  ex- 
cellent tail  carriage,  well  spread  out  and  carried  at  the  proper  angle.  I 
appreciate  that  some  breeders  advise  "Don't  get  the  tail  too  low."  Look 
over  their  flock  and  you  will  see  that  there  is  mighty  little  danger  of  their 
ever  getting  the  tails  too  low!  Where  you  find  one  tail  a  little  bit  low,  you 
will  find  ten  thousand  altogether  too  high.  They  should  be  just  high  enough 
to  maintain  the  carrage  of  vigor  and  good  balance — not  drooping  in  a  slouchy 
way — and  decidedly  not  stuck  up  straight  like  the  tail  of  a  gray  squirrel. 

This  fellow's  body  was  long  and  deep.  I  have  mentioned  body  shape  on 
a  previous  page.  Many  birds  have  long  bodies  but  are  hot  deep  enough  for 
good  Ancona  type — they  mustn't  be  too  slim.  This  fine  specimen  had  a  good 
pair  of  yellow  shanks  and  he  certainly  stood  up  splendidly  on  them.  His 
legs  were  well  spread.  The  light  green  sheen  on  his  dark  color  was  entirely 
free  from  purple  barring.  His  mottling  was  fine  and  distinct  and  evenly 
spread  in  nearly  all  sections.  His  tail  was  solid  black  with  white  tips,  and 
almost  black  wings  with  many  feathers  tipped  with  white. 

While  we're  on  the  subject  of  the  kind  of  male  to  use  in  breeding  pens, 
take  a  look  at  that  royal  specimen  across  the  page.  Note  the  proud,  regal 
carriage,  the  broad,  full  sweep  of  that  perfect  tail,  the  beautifully  formed 
head,  the  sturdy  legs.  He's  a  regal  bird — is  Richard — and  he  knows  it! 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


35 


Richard— America's  Sovereign  Bird 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  37 


Females  For  The  Breeding  Pen 


THE    situation    is    now   this. 
We   have  a   male  bird  who  seems  to  answer  all  our  specifications  to 
a  dot.      Here  then  (on    the  opposite  page)  is  the  type  of   female    we 
have  in  mind.     Note,  in  each  of  these  birds,  the  snappy,  alert  carriage,  the 
deep   bodies,  the  neat  tails. 

Do  not  breed  from  a  female  with  a  high  tail — always  select  a  bird  with 
low,  well-spread  tail.  In  selecting  females  for  color,  if  you  overlook  shape 
you  overlook  a  strong  point,  because  without  proper  shape,  the  great  useful- 
ness of  the  Ancona  would  be  limited. 

I  select  females  as  near  standard  requirements  as  possible,  with  good  dark 
wings  and  tail  and  fine,  even  mottling.  If  you  breed  Anconas  you  will  prob- 
ably wonder  at  the  fine,  even  mottling  I  refer  to,  which  may  be  absent  from 
your  flock.  Don't  be  discouraged!  It  has  taken  us  many  years  of  mating 
and  breeding  to  get  the  fine,  even  mottling  I  consider  necessary  in  the  ideal 
Ancona. 

In  the  case  that  you  are  breeding  for  utility  only,  do  not  condemn  a  bird 
with  more  white  than  the  standard  calls  for  because  frequently  these  more 
freely  mottled  birds  are  as  good  layers  if  hatched  from  eggs  from  a  good  laying 
strain.  Color  has  very  little  to  do  with  their  ability  to  lay.  In  our  utility 
matings  we  count  much  more  on  shape  than  on  color.  In  our  exhibition 
matings  the  birds  must  have  both  shape  and  color. 

The  standard  of  perfection  states  that  Anconas  must  have  80  percent 
of  their  feathers  black  and  only  20  per  cent  with  a  white  tip,  excepting  on 
the  males'  back,  where  90  per  cent  of  the  feathers  are  black.  This  would 
mean  a  bird  practically  black  when  looking  at  him  from  20  feet  or  more  away. 
I  would  scarcely  consider  this  an  ideal  bird.  It  is  results  we  are  after,  and 
I  believe  you  will  agree  with  me  that  the  illustrations  throughout  this  book 
of  Anconas  typify  a  very  handsome  specimen,  which  is  slightly  more  white 
than  the  standard  of  perfection  called  for. 

I  have  been  working  for  a  happy  medium  between  the  present  and  the 
old  Standard,  with  just  enough  white  tips  to  give  each  bird  a  snappy  appear- 
ance and  bring  out  the  sharp  contrast  between  white  and  black  so  necessary 
in  beauty. 


38 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Breeding  For  Egg  Production 

IN  grouping  together  these  splendid   matings  to  produce  such  unusual  ex- 
hibition birds,  it  would  be  well  to  keep  in  mind  that  a  female  is  never  con- 
sidered as  a  candidate  for  any  of  my  breeding  pens  unless  she  has  behind  her 
a    remarkable    egg    record — an    actual    trap    nest    record.      I    shall    probably 
never  get  away  from  the  idea  of  breeding  first  for  egg  production — and  then 
building  other  points  of  quality  afterwards. 

Certain  principles  of  breeding  for  egg-production  have  won  general  accept- 
ance among  breeders.  I  shall  take  time,  at  this  point,  to  mention  a  few  of  the 
principles  I  regard  as  established. 

In  the  first  place,  I  believe  that  high  egg  production  is  the  accumulated 
result  of  the  selection  of  high  production  breeding  stock  carried  on  for  many 
generations.  This  is  what  I  mean  when  I  say  that  Anconas  are  bred  to  lay. 
In  all  my  experience  as  a  breeder  of  Ancona  stock.  I  have  kept  this  one  idea, 
most  prominent — 

More  Eggs 

Not  that  the  quality  of  the  eggs  should  be  sacrificed  to  quantity,  but  that 
the  two  should  go  hand  in  hand.  I  know  that  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  for 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


39 


one  to  accept  eggs  of  inferior  size  from  high-yield  stock,  for  some  of  my  best 
laying  birds  have  laid  eggs  that  were  considerably  above  the  average  in  size. 

It  is  a  fact  too,  that  hens  seem  to  respond  to  favorable  environment,  al- 
though one  of  the  highest  Ancona  records — 331  eggs  in  a  year — was  achieved 
by  a  bird  in  a  small,  cold  coop.  This  only  serves  to  emphasize  the  fact  that 
there  are  numerous  exceptions  to  every  poultry  rule. 

We  do  know  one  thing  though— with  certainty — and  that  is  that  all  of 
modern  skill  has  never  been  able  to  coax  all  the  eggs  that  the  hen  "houses" 
in  her  body  out  of.it!  For  the  ovary  of  the  hen,  even  before  she  lays  an  egg, 
contains  the  "germs"  of  all  the  eggs  she  will  ever  lay — and  then  some!  Why 
doesn't  she  lay  them?  There  is  a  real  question! 

Is  it  the  lack  of  an  inherited  ability  to  lay  all  the  eggs  she  has  within  her 
body,  or  is  it  because  of  improper  feeding  and  care? 

At  any  rate,  it  is  a  problem  worth  thinking  about.  If  the  hen  contains 
the  possibilities  of  thousands  of  eggs,  there  may  come  a  day  when  our  boasted 
300—egg  strains  may  look  mighty  small  and  amateurish! 


Coming  in  with  "Golden"  White  Harvest 


40  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 

Another  important  thing  to  be  considered  in  the  matter  of  breeding  for 
eggs  is  whether  or  not  the  laying-life  of  the  fowl  can  be  materially  increased. 
As  conditions  are  today,  the  average  unimproved  flock  does  not  pay  for  its 
board  and  room  after  the  second  year.  If  proper  breeding  could  lengthen 
this  period  to  four  years,  what  a  revolution  in  chickendom!  We  may  be  able 
to  prolong  this  productive  period,  and  I  am  keeping  this  possibility  in  the 
background  of  my  mind  as  another  thing  worth  thinking  about! 

The  shape  of  the  fowl's  body  is  another  consideration.  I  believe  that 
the  Ancona  is  quite  ideally  "built"  for  the  purpose  of  heavy  and  consistent 
egg  production,  and  I  always  try  to  maintain  in  my  flocks  the  type  of  body 
that  seems  peculiarly  associated  with  egg  yield.  The  full,  round  breast, 
the  rather  long  back,  round  at  the  shoulder  and  broad  across  the  loin,  is  a 
formation  that  is  conductive  to  egg  laying.  Then  too,  there  is  a  well-formed 
keel  and  an  abdomen  that  gives  plenty  of  room  for  a  full  equipment  of  egg- 
forming  organs. 

"Temperament"  is  another  thing  to  keep  in  mind  when  breeding  for  eggs. 
This,  I  feel,  is  a  more  important  point  than  most  breeders  realize.  As  a 
general  thing,  I  have  found  that  the  good  layer  has  an  active,  somewhat 
"nervous"  temperament.  She  moves  around  quickly,  is  usually  "on  the  go", 
and  will  be  found  out  scratching  for  food  when  the  poor  layer  is  leaning  up 
against  the  chicken-wire  or  sitting  down  in  the  shade.  And  when  it  comes  to 
temperament,  no  breed  has  anything  on  the  little  black  and  white  beauties 
known  as  Anconas.  They  are  the  prima  donnas  of  Chickendom! 

Another  factor.  Which  "side  of  the  house"  transmits  the  egg  laying 
characteristic — male  or  female? 

My  experience  seems  to  indicate,  and  I  have  followed  this  thing  quite 
closely,  that  the  male  is  the  more  important.  But  I  would  certainly  be  the 
last  to  say  that  this  ability  never  descended  from  mother  to  daughter.  I 
know  better  than  that! 


AMONG    ANCONAS"  41 


On  Marketing  Eggs  To  Advantage 

NOT  that  the  marketing  of  eggs  should  come  under  the  general  head  of 
"Breeding  for  Egg  Production",  but  because  I  feel  that  it  may  prove  of 
value  to  many  readers  I  will  say  a  few  words  about  selling  eggs  pro- 
fitably at  this  time. 

In  days  past,  an  egg  was  just  an  egg — with  one  as  good  as  another.  Today 
though,  the  fact  that  there  is  a  difference,  and  that  one  dozen  of  eggs  may  be 
worth  five,  ten  or  fifteen  cents  more  than  another  dozen,  has  become  quite 
generally  recognized.  This  distinction  has  been  an  inducement  for  many 
poultry  owners  to  raise  and  maintain  the  quality  of  the  eggs  they  offer  for 
sale,  and  has  had  a  good  effect  upon  the  entire  industry. 

The  poultry  raiser  whose  flock  produces  more  eggs  than  he  can  consume 
at  his  own  table  is  indeed  fortunate — if  they  are  high-grade  eggs  and  he  can 
find  a  profitable  market  for  them.  In  general  there  are  two  distinct  methods 
of  marketing.  He  can  either  sell  to  the  interests  who  make  it  their  business 
to  deal  in  eggs,  or  he  can  go  direct  to  the  consumer.  The  nearest  approach 
to  this  latter  method,  without  selling  directly  to  the  person  who  consumes 
the  eggs,  is  through  the  channels  of  the  retail  stores.  The  producer  can 
ship  in  larger  quantities  than  he  can  to  private  customers,  and  he  can  obtain 
a  better  express  rate.  Many  retail  stores  will  pay  a  liberal  premium  for 
fancy  eggs,  and  are  usually  desirous  of  establishing  a  permanent  connection 
with  some  poultry  man  who  can  guarantee  regular  shipments  of  high-grade 
eggs. 

The  producer  should  always  have  his  eye  on  new  and  more  profitable 
markets.  The  Hotel  and  Restaurant  trade  frequently  has  possibilities  which 
are  overlooked.  The  Parcel  Post  shipments  have  opened  a  new  field.  A 
good  many  poultry  raisers  have  built  up  a  very  fine  trade  by  means  of  this 
new  service. 

The  most  important  considerations  are  these:  Grade  your  eggs  carefully. 
Ship  nothing  but  perfectly  fresh  eggs.  Use  neat  clean  packages  and  con- 
tainers. Treat  every  customer  fairly. 

The  different  grades  of  eggs,  as  recognized  by  expert  candlers,  are  as  follows: 

Fresh  Egg — An  egg  to  be  accepted  as  a  "first"  or  fresh  egg,  must  be  newly 
laid,  clean,  of  normal  size,  showing  a  very  small  air  cell,  and  must  have  a 
strong,  smooth  shell  of  even  color  and  free  from  cracks. 

Checks — This  term  applies  to  eggs  which  are  cracked  but  not  leaking. 
Leakers — This  applies  to  eggs  which  have  lost  a  part  of  their  contents. 


42  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 

Seconds — The  term   "seconds"   applies  to  eggs   which   can   be  no  longer 
accepted  as  "firsts".     There  are  several  classes  of  such  eggs: 

(a)  Heated  Eggs — One  in   which   the  embryo  has   preceded   to  a  point 
corresponding  to  about   18  to  24  hours  of  normal  incubation.     When  held 
before  the  candle,  the  yolk  of  such  an  egg  will  appear  heavy  and  quite  dark 
in    color. 

(b)  Small  Egg — Even   though   it   be   newly-laid,   and    unusually    small 
egg  will   be   classed   as   a   "second". 

(c)  Dirty  Egg — Eggs   that   have   been   soiled   with   earth,   droppings,  or 
stained  with  wet  straw,  are  also  classed  as  "seconds". 

(d)  Presence  of  Foreign  Matter  in  Eggs — Often  eggs  are  laid  which 
show  small  clots  of  blood  about  the  size  of  a  pea. 

(e)  Misshaped  Eggs — Eggs  that  are  long  or  flat,  or  otherwise  deformed, 
must  also  go  as  "seconds". 

(f)  Blood  Rings — Eggs  in  which  the  embryo  has  developed  to  a  suffi- 
cient extent  to  be  recognizable  when  held  before  the  candle. 

(g)  Rots — Eggs  which  are  absolutely  unfit  for  human  food. 

One   more   thing.      Most   markets   in   the   United   States   prefer  the  white 

egg,  and  will  pay  a  higher  price  for  first-class  eggs  of  this  color.     It  is    an 

entirely  desirable  thing  to  own  a  flock  that  lays  plenty  of  nice  large  white 

eggs — from    the   standpoint   of   marketing    them    profitably,    if  for    no  other 
reason. 


Wte 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  43 


Line  Breeding 


TO  return  to  the  subject  of  breeding. 
At    various    times,    considerable    speculative    nonsense  has   been  dis- 
pensed under  the  name  of  Scientific  Breeding;  but  occasionally  an  art- 
icle does  appear  which  is  based  on  facts  and  contains  valuable  information. 
Such   an   article  is  the  one  I  am  publishing  below  from  the  American  Poultry 
Advocate,  together  with  a  chart  by  Mr.  I.  K.  Felch,  on  line  breeding.     It  will 
show  how  line  breeding  is  accomplished,  and  how  new  strains  are  produced. 
It  is  a  process  that  requires  considerable  patience  in  the  keeping  of  complete 
records   of  matings.     So    much    so   that   even    many   skilled    and   successful 
breeders  find  it  easier  to  purchase  male  birds  of  a  different  blood  line. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  all  large  poultry  breeders,  who  make  a  business  of  furnish- 
ing breeding  stock,  can  always  furnish  breeders  with  a  different  blood  line  so 
that  you  can  introduce  vigor  and  vitality  into  your  blood  from  time  to  time. 

"Mr.  I.  K.  Felch,  the  veteran  judge  and  breeder  of  America,  many  years 
ago  published  in  a  little  book  of  his,  called  Poultry  Culture,  a  kind  of  a  chart 
showing  at  a  glance  the  main  principle  on  which  this  should  be  done.  We 
have  evidence  that  this  chart  has  actually  been  of  practical  benefit  to  several 
well-known  breeders  in  England,  even  as  then  published;  but  in  some  sub- 
sequent correspondence  Mr.  Felch  has  kindly  sent  us  an  improved  form  of 
it,  which  we  here  reproduce,  making  a  little  further  modification  to  make  its 
meaning  more  clear.  We  suppose  the  strain  to  originate  from  two  individuals 
only,  though  in  the  case  of  fowls,  of  course,  several  hens  or  pullets  might  be 
used  as_one  of  the  units.  In  that  case,  however,  all  should  be  of  the  same 
breeding.  (It  need  hardly  be  pointed  out  that  in  this  case  the  scheme  may 
be  carried  out  with  less  in-breeding  at  the  first  stages,  as  a  cockerel  might  be 
bred  back  to  an  aunt  instead  of  to  the  mother.  But  unless  the  hens  or  pullets 
are  full  sisters,  the  result  will  not  be  the  same  or  have  the  same  certainty, 
(Hence  the  utility  of  the  recording  nest-boxes  mentioned  further  on.)  The 
two  original  units  must,  of  course,  be  perfectly  vigorous  and  healthy,  and 
either  unrelated  or  only  distantly  related  in  blood.  They  should  always 
be  from  different  yards,  for  it  is  found  that  even  change  of  ground  has  some 
effect  in  producing  the  different  blood  which  has  so  much  to  do  with  avoiding 
constitutional  disease.  Taking  our  two  original  units,  then  Mr.  Felch's  chart 
shows  how  they  may  be  bred  so  as  to  maintain  health  and  vigor. 

"In  reading  this  chart,  every  dotted  line  means  a  female — i.  e.,  a  hen  or 
pullet,  and  every  unbroken  line  a  male.  Wherever  two  such  lines  meet 
at  a  point  the  circle  at  that  point  denotes  the  produce  of  the  mating,  bearing 
a  number  distinguishing  it  as  a  group  or  product;  while  the  fraction  outside 
the  circle  denotes  the  mixture  or  proportion  in  that  product  of  the  blood  of  the 


44 


'A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


two  original  units  from  which  is  bred  the  strain.  The  first  year,  for  instance, 
the  original  pair  produce  group  2,  whose  blood  is  half-and-half  of  each.  The 
second  year  the  original  female,  or  one  of  them,  is  bred  to  a  cockerel  from 
group  2,  and  the  original  male  to  a  pullet  from  group  2.  Thus  are  produced 
groups  3  and  4,  each  of  which  possesses  three-fourths  of  the  blood  of  the  unit 
on  its  own  side  of  the  diagram.  Here  begins  the  real  work  of  the  breeder, 
since  these  mates  now  taken  from  group  2  must  be  most  carefully  selected 
to  type,  according  to  that  'course  of  selection'  which  we  have  already  discussed. 
From  the  very  first  all  depends  on  this,  and,  of  course,  the  two  original  units 
have  been  chosen  with  equal  care,  so  far  as  money  and  opportunity  allowed. 
The  third  year  a  cockerel  from  group  3  is  mated  with  the  original  hen  to  pro- 
duce group  5,  and  pullets  from  group  4  to  the  original  male  to  produce  group 
7,  all  of  which  possesses  seven-eighths  of  the  blood  of  their  own  side,  and  are 
to  be  rigorously  selected  true  to  type  as  before. 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  45 


"But  the  most  noteworthy  mating  this  year,  to  which  we  would  call  special 
attention,  is  that  of  a  pullet  or  pullets  from  group  3,  with  a  cockerel  from 
group  4,  producing  group  6.  It  will  be  seen  that  all  the  members  of  group  6 
possess  equal  or  half-and-half  blood  from  the  original  parents  as  much  so 
as  group  2.  We  also  mate  a  pullet  from  group  5  and  a  cockerel  from  group 
7,  each  of  these  owning  seven-eighths  of  the  blood  of  one  ancestor,  and  we 
again  produce  in  group  10  a  progeny  whose  blood  is  half-and-half.  Now 
suppose  we  had  mated  brothers  and  sisters  from  group  2  to  produce  half- 
and-half  blood  and  age  of  group  6,  and  brothers  and  sisters  of  these  to  produce 
similar  equality  of  blood  at  the  age  of  group  10  the  result  of  such  incestuous 
in-breeding  would  have  been  swift  degeneracy.  As  it  is,  we  have  made  out 
matings  from  lines  characterized  mainly  by  the  original  male  and  female, 
and  yet  preserved  the  same  mathematically  exact  equality  of  blood  in  our 
group  10.  A  generation  farther  on  we  can  produce  group  15  as  shown,  from 
groups  9  and  11;  or  we  might  have  mated  groups  8  and  12;  or  the  produce 
of  the  former  may  be  mated  with  that  of  the  latter.  We  have  thus  seen 
how  it  is  possible  to  keep  up  the  half-and-half  blood  of  a  cross,  intact  and 
exact,  without  any  loss  of  size,  fertility,  or  vigor. 

"We  also  see  plainly  from  this  chart  that  by  the  time  we  have  reached  the 
stage  even  of  group  10,  we  have  got  in  our  hands  practically  three  strains; 
for  while  group  10  possesses  equal  blood  of  both  sides,  group  8  has  thirteen- 
sixteenths  of  the  blood  of  the  hen,  or  practically  represents  the  female  line, 
while  group  12,  in  like  proportion,  possesses  the  blood  of  the  male  line.  Yet 
all  are  related  sufficiently  to  prevent  evil;  and  all  have  gone  through  the 
same  'course  of  selection'  towards  our  own  fixed  type. 

"From  this  point  we  have  ample  material  to  go  on  with  indefinitely,  and 
need  not  pursue  the  matter  further.  The  next  row  of  groups  simply  shows 
some  of  the  results  in  the  next  generation.  But  one  point  more  may  be  illus- 
trated. Suppose  that  for  some  reason — as  for  special  cockerel  or  pullet  breed- 
ing mating — we  want  to  establish  also  a  line  of  sires  in  which  predominates  the 
blood  of  the  original  female.  The  chart  shows  a  cockerel  from  group  5  mated 
with  a  pullet  from  group  3,  and  a  cockerel  from  the  produce  in  group  8  mated 
with  a  pullet  from  group  10.  The  result  in  group  13  gives  us  the  same  pro- 
portions of  blood,  but  derived  through  a  cockerel  line  of  breeding. 

"Whenever  a  cross  is  necessary  in  a  strain,  such  a  chart  also  shows  the 
procedure  that  should  be  followed.  The  cross  is  treated  as  a  new  unit,  and 
its  produce  remated  back  to  the  home  strain  in  the  same  way,  carefully 
selecting  for  the  desired  type  as  before.  This  is  what  breeders  and  fanciers 
term  'breeding  back'  to  a  strain,  and  the  philosophy  of  it  can  be  clearly  under- 
stood from  such  a  diagram  as  that  before  us.  Every  cross  thus  involves  more 
or  less  breeding  back  to  the  'line'  afterwards;  but  this  need  not  be  carried  to 
the  extent  of  incestuous  matings,  or  interfere  with  vigor  in  any  degree.  The 
out-cross  is  not  used  as  immediate  material,  but  to  provide  either  pullets  or 
cockerels  for  really  breeding  into  the  strain  the  following  year." 


46 


'A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Mr.  Sheppard  and  his  Superintendent  selecting  some  choice  "Famous"  stock 

The  key  to  successfully  carrying  on  this  work  of  breeding  in  line  is  in  the 
words: — "Here  begins  the  real  work  of  the  breeder,  since  these  mates  now 
taken  from  group  2  must  be  most  carefully  selected  to  type," — and  again  "are 
to  be  rigorously  selected  true  to  type  as  before."  Not  only  must  they  IK- 
selected  true  to  type,  but  they  must  be  selected  with  a  special  view  to  full  streng- 
th and  vigor,  and  every  specimen  rejected  that  shows  the  least  bit  of  weakness, 
or  lack  of  vigor.  If  the  breeder  will  but  lift  himself  to  that  high  level  of 
"selection"  he  need  have  no  fear  of  incurring  the  painful  penalties  of  inbreed- 
ing. Mr.  Wright  himself  is  strenuous  for  the  most  painstaking  care  in  select- 
ing the  breeders.  When  considering  the  introduction  of  new  blood  into  the 
strain,  by  an  out-cross,  he  says: — "In  all  cases  birds  from  the  cross  should 
be  selected  for  further  breeding  with  unusual  care,  with  even  most  rigorus 
severity,  because  the  newly  introduced  tendencies  have  to  be  guarded  against. 

That  selecting  with  "even  most  rigorous  severity"  is  where  the  many  will 
fall  down,  especially  in  selecting  with  a  view  to  the  utmost  of  strength  and 
vigor;  if  poultrymen  would  only  surely  do  this  last  there  would  be  compara- 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


47 


tively  few  complaints  of  lack  of  stamina  in  the  stock, — of  poor  hatches,  chicks 
dying  in  the  shell,  of  the  countless  ills  and  ailments  with  which  so  many 
flocks  are  afflicted.  And  what  an  immense  uplifting  there  would  be  in  the 
profits!  Let's  "select"  with  "most  rigorous  severity"! — 

Courtesy  of  American  Poultry  Advocate. 


Note  the  ventilators  on  this  house.  The  shutter  openings  are  made  of  8  inch 
boards  about  2  inches  apart.  One  inch  poultry  netting  is  tacked  on  the  inside  of 
ventilator  to  keep  the  sparrows  out.  A  slide  is  provided  at  top  of  ceiling  to  reg- 
ulate the  opening  in  cold  weather. 


First  Rose  Comb  Pen,  Madison  Square  Garden,  New  York  City 


AMONG    ANCONAS"  49 


How  and  What  to  Feed  Anconas 

BECAUSE  of  their  naturally  hardy  constitutions,  Anconas  don't  need  to 
be  pampered,  milk-fed,  and  babied.     They  thrive  under  severe  conditi- 
ons, where  other  birds  would  keel  up  their  toes  and  die.     They  lay  eggs 
in  cold,  drafty,  ramshackle  houses,  when  heavier  birds  would  merely  exist.     But 
my  experience  has  shown  me  that  under  certain  sets  of  conditions,  Anconas 
will  produce  the  maximum.     And  I  am  very  glad  to  pass  along  to  you  folks 
who  are  taking  this  little  journey,  some  of  my  thoughts  relative  to  the  feed- 
ing of  Anconas.     These  ideas,  of  course,  will  apply  with  almost  equal  force 
to  every  other  breed  of  poultry — particularly  when  you  are  after  egg  pro- 
duction. 

Here  are  the  two  feed  formulas  I  adopted  some  time  ago: 

DRY  MASH  DRY  GRAINS 

Coarse  bran ___2001bs.  Cracked  corn. .         50  Ibs. 

Cornmeal ___1001bs.  Wheat .  70  Ibs. 

Gluten  feed ...100  Ibs.  Heavy  white  oats.  _              .  40  Ibs. 

Ground  oats ._  100  Ibs.  Barley .  20  Ibs. 

Standard  middlings 100  Ibs.  Kaffircorn 10  Ibs. 

Beef  scrap ..  100  Ibs.  Buckwheat _  10  Ibs. 

Low  grade  flour 25  Ibs.  Coarse  beef  scraps 10  Ibs. 

I  favor  wheat  because  the  grain  is  small,  easily  digested,  and  because  it 
is  rich  in  protein  and  mineral  matter.  Corn,  when  fed  alone,  has  not  enough 
protein  and  too  much  fattening  and  mineral  matter.  Barley  and  buck- 
wheat are  also  rich  in  fat. 

Dry  mash,  bran,  beef  scrap,  oyster  shell,  grit  and  charcoal  should  be  kept 
before  your  fowls  constantly  in  hoppers. 

During  the  winter  months,  when  the  hens  are  confined,  they  should  be 
fed  green  cut  bone,  about  three  pounds  to  100  hens  per  day.  Skimmed  milk, 
curdled  thick,  makes  a  good  substitute  for  green  bone.  I  get  excellent  results 
without  feeding  wet  mashes,  but  wet  mashes  are  good  if  not  too  wet.  A 
mash  moistened  with  milk  makes  dainty  feed  for  your  hens.  I  get  good 
results  with  dry  mash. 

To  insure  the  proper  amount  of  exercise  during  the  winter,  it  is  best  to 
throw  the  grain  in  litter,  and  compel  the  hens  to  scratch  for  it. 

Green  food  must  not  be  overlooked.  When  it  is  not  convenient  to  feed 
lawn  clippings,  sprouted  oats,  alfalfa  meal,  cabbage  or  mangels  are  splendid. 


50 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Housing  and  Equipment 

I   HAVE  designed  and  completed  several  styles  of  houses  which  are  in  use  on 
my  farm,  and  I  have  also  tried  out  designs  developed  by  several  well-known 
poultry  men  so  as  to  find  out  just  what  housing  conditions  would   prove 
the  best  suited  to  the  disposition  of  Anconas. 

The  two  styles  illustrated  are  my  favorites.  Style  A  is  very  economical 
for  anyone  who  wishes  to  limit  his  investment  in  buildings.  This  house  is 
15x20  feet.  It  has  a  flat  roof  five  feet  in  front  and  eight  feet  in  the  rear.  It 
can  be  used  as  an  excellent  brooder  house  by  installing  a  Colony  brooder 
stove.  When  the  birds  are  ready  to  leave  the  brooder,  take  out  the  stove. 
The  feathered  flock  can  be  wintered  in  the  same  building  to  save  removing 
them  to  other  quarters.  We  have  a  number  of  these  houses  on  my  Berea 
farm. 

By  placing  the  lower  side  toward  the  south,  the  high  side  may  be  used  for 
one  row  of  conditioning  coops  the  full  length  of  the  building,  without  using 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


51 


Style  ".-/"  Poultry  House 


any  floor  space.  This  arrangement  makes  an  excellent  combination  brooder 
and  conditioning  house.  In  case  conditioning  coops  are  not  desired,  the 
high  side  is  placed  toward  the  south  to  admit  more  sunlight  whether  used 
for  brooder  or  laying  houses. 

As  a  good,  sensible,  all-the-year  round  house,  Style  B — a  building  24x30 
feet — is  very,  very  pleasing  to  me.  It  is  cool  in  summer  and  plenty  warm 
in  winter.  There  is  a  ventilator  that  keeps  the  house  dry  and  the  air  more 
pure.  Without  the  ventilator  this  house  will  be  damp,  so  by  all  means,  install 
this  particular  style  of  ventilator  in  this  type  of  house.  The  ventilator  is 
constructed  by  nailing  boards  across  two  studdings  about  fifteen  inches  apart, 
near  the  center  of  the  building  above  the  droppings  board.  Then  continue 
the  boards  along  the  roof  to  the  siding.  You  had  better  start  these  boards 
about  six  inches  above  the  droppings  board.  Be  sure  to  cut  away  the  siding 
at  the  highest  point  at  the  end  of  the  ventilator  to  allow  the  damp,  impure 
air  to  pass  outside.  The  ventilator  terminates  at  the  highest  point  of  siding, 
directly  under  the  roof. 

In  these  buildings  on  my  farm,  the  water  supply  is  obtained  from  a  cistern 
under  the  cement  floor  of  each  building.  These  cisterns  are  square  and  built 
of  concrete.  It  is  easier  and  cheaper  to  build  the  cisterns  this  shape  than 
round  and  I  consider  them  just  as  satisfactory.  Furthermore,  when  the 
buildings  are  scattered  over  considerable  space,  the  time  saved  in  watering 
soon  pays  for  the  cost  of  putting  in  the  cistern. 

In  concluding  these  paragraphs  on  poultry  houses,  I  am  going  to  quote  from 
my  other  book — popularly  called  the  Town  Lot  Book — from  the  chapter  on 
poultry  houses. 


52 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Stylf  "/?"  Poultry  House 


"What  constitutes  a  successful  poultry  house?  I  should  say  one  that 
keeps  the  birds  in  perfect  comfort  and  health,  and  enables  them  to  produce 
the  largest  yield  of  eggs.  Of  course  you  don't  get  eggs  from  poultry  houses — 
but  if  you  take  the  same  identical  birds  and  put  them  in  one  house  and  then 
change  them  to  another,  there  may  be  a  decided  difference  in  the  egg  yield, 
just  because  of  the  conditions  provided  by  the  "fowl"  dwelling. 

"I  am  certain  that  a  light  and  airy  house  will  encourage  egg  laying  and 
that  a  dark,  stuffy  house  absolutely  will  not.  The  three  big  factors  in  egg 
production  are: 

1— food 

2— light 

3 — air 


IDEAL  FANCIER'S  STOCK 

Unquestionably,  "Famous"  Anconas  are  becoming  the  ideal  fancier's 
stock;  they  are  in  great  favor!  The  contrast  of  black  and  white  in  their 
plumage,  the  beautiful  dappled  effect,  results  in  a  wonderful  handsome 
bird.  They  are  alert  and  striking  in  carriage,  as  well  as  very  graceful. 
Such  striking  appearance  do  they  present  that  they  seem  always  to  be  on 
dress  parade.  Unlike  some  birds  they  do  not  require  washing  before 
you  can  show  them.  You  will  certainly  appreciate  this  point  if  you  have 
ever  gone  to  the  trouble  of  washing  birds  before  sending  them  to  the  show. 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


53 


Remarks  on  Chicken  Parks  and  Equipment 

THE  chicken  parks  should  be  as  generous  as  the  ground  will  permit. 
The  ideal  park  would  have  a  southern  exposure.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
plant  fruit  trees  in  the  parks,  and  these  will  furnish  the  chickens  with 
shade  as  well  as  the  table  with  lots  of  fruit.  The  parks  should  be  cultivated 
often  in  the  early  spring.  If  the  parks  are  long  enough  it  is  well  to  fence  off 
the  part  farthest  from  the  laying  house  and  sow  it  with  rape.  This  not  only 
furnishes  the  chickens  with  an  excellent  green  food,  but  also  keeps  the  ground 
sweet  and  fresh.  It  is  important  to  have  the  parks  built  on  high  ground  as 
well  as  the  houses.  In  case  the  high  ground  cannot  be  secured,  be  sure  that 
the  parks  are  well  drained,  because  the  chickens  will  not  do  well  where  they 
have  to  stay  in  parks  that  are  wet  for  several  days  after  every  rainstorm. 

I  realize  that  the  moment  I  begin  to  recommend  different  types  of  equip- 
ment, that  I  am  wading  out  into  deep  water,  water  that  is  likely  to  become 
"hot" — but  I  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  book  that  I  was  going  to  give  you 
as  much  of  my  experience  as  I  thought  would  be  helpful  and  I  intend  to  keep 
my  word  even  if  I  put  myself  in  the  position  of  advertising  some  of  my  good 
friends.  I  don't  expect  you  to  agree  with  everything  I  say.  My  only  excuse 
for  laying  bare  my  experience  is  because  that  is  what  you  paid  for  when  you 
purchased  this  book  and  my  equipment  must  be  fairly  satisfactory  or  I  would 
not  have  been  able  to  take  a  profit  from  it.  It  is  results  that  count,  after  all! 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


55 


Here's  a  Poultry  Training  Camp 


I  am  showing  here  a  picture  of  what  I  call  my  "Poultry  Training  Camp". 

This  shows  one  end  of  the  building.  It  is  heated  by  natural  gas  and  lighted 
by  electricity.  Here  in  sturdy  individual  wire  barracks  with  wooden  frames, 
my  birds  receive  their  training  for  the  shows.  Here  the  prize  winners  you 
order  get  their  setting  up  exercises  so  that  they  won't  get  bashful  and  ashamed 
when  on  exhibit — although  I  have  never  seen  a  shy  and  retiring  Ancona! 

When  you  receive  a  bird  with  which  you  expect  to  go  up  against  fierce 
competition  at  shows,  it  is  fairly  well  broken  to  the  game — not  fearful  and 
wild  in  a  small  coop — and  it  knows  how  to  behave  itself  in  limited  quarters 
so  that  it  will  make  you  proud  of  Anconas. 

Top  of  next  page  I  am  showing  section  of  one  of  my  Incubator  cellars. 
I  am  simply  showing  you  this  so  that  you  can  see  to  what  extent  the  breed- 
ing of  Anconas  may  be  carried.  There  is  unlimited  opportunity  for  scores 
of  large  operators  in  this  one  field. 

In  the  incubator  cellars — one  of  which  is  shown  just  above,  I  operate 
both  small  and  large  incubators  running  from  250  to  20,000  capacity.  There 
are  a  great  many  good  incubators — and  I  believe  that  all  standard  makes 
do  excellent  work. 


corner  in  one  of  the  incubator  cellars.      These  machines  are  all  heated  by  gas 
from  a  gas  well  on  the  farm 


Among  the  "Piano  5o.v"  Colony  Houses  on  Sheppard's  Famous  Ancona  Farm- 
plenty  of  cooling  shade 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


57 


Here  is  another  piece  of 
equipment,  which  I  am 
glad  to  recommend.  I 
have  this  Hopper  manu- 
factured to  my  special 
order,  and  I  catalog  it 
and  sell  direct. 


Why  I  Use  and  Recommend  Perfection 
Automatic  Hoppers 

Because  they  save  a  great  amount  of  labor. 

Because  they  cut  down  your  feed  bill.      Keep  your  feed  from  wasting,  and 

keep   the   mice   and   rats   away. 
Because    you    get    better  results — larger  and  healthier  chickens  and  many 

more   eggs. 
Because  you  can  feed  the  chickens  a  well  balanced  mash  and  not  have  the 

trouble  of  mixing  wet  mashes. 
Because  your  hens  convert  dry  mash  into  eggs,  instead  of  wasting  their  energy 

digesting  grain. 
Because  your  fowls  will  be  more  vigorous,  consequently  will  lay  more  fertile 

eggs,  and  you  will  hatch  more  livable  chicks. 

Because  it  is  made  larger  at  bottom  than  top  to  prevent  feed  from  clogging. 
Because  you  can  hang  it  outside.     The  feed  is  protected  from  the  rain. 
Because  the  dust  settles  on  the  flange  and  not  on  the  feed. 
Because  it  is  made  from  galvanized  steel,  and  will  last  a  long  time. 
Because  I  have  tried  several  kinds  of  hoppers  and  find  that  the  Perfection 

gives  the  best  results. 
Because  it  will  pay  for  itself  in  one  year  by  saving  feed,  labor,  and  increase 

egg    production. 


58 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


The  first  cost  is  very  slight  when  you  think  of  what  it  will  save  you.  The 
Perfection  Dry  Mash  Hopper  is  the  modern  way  to  feed  your  chickens.  Order 
today.  By  Parcel  Post  or  Express,  charges  prepaid  to  any  part  of  United 
States  or  Canada. 

Chick  size,  31-50.  Large  size  (16  quarts),  33.00.  Large  size  made  with 
four  partitions  to  feed  grit,  oyster  shell,  charcoal,  bran,  etc.,  for  33.75.  Dis- 
count on  quantity  orders. 


While  I  am  speaking  about  equipment,  you  may  be  interested  in  noting 
the  type  of  packages  we  use  for  making  shipments  of  chicks.  And  here 
also  we  show  the  one  in  which  our  Ancona  chicks  are  packed  for  long  journeys. 


Group  of  day-old  cluck  shipping  cases 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


59 


This  illustrates  the  boxes  I  use  for  shipping  hatching  eggs.  The  one  on  top 
is  ready  to  receive  the  eggs.  The  one  on  the  right  is  packed  with  eggs  and  the 
cover  partly  on.  The  box  on  the  left  is  ready  for  shipment,  and  contains  15  eggs. 


A  shipment  of  Sheppard's  stock  ready  to  start  on  the  long  trip  of  12,000  miles  to 

far-away  Australia. 


60 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


There  are  many  poul- 
try raisers  who  consider 
the  book  this  young  chap 
is  reading  as  an  indispen- 
sible  part  of  their  equip- 
ment. I  call  it  my  "Town 
Lot"  Book,  for  it  tells  in 
instructive  way,  how  I 
cleared  34,223.00  in  a 
single  year  from  a  Town 
Lot.  I'll  be  glad  to  send 
you  a  copy  for  31.00. 


Speaking  of  things  for 
sale,  here's  something  no 
money  could  buy!  It's 
my  trademark — the  design 
that  I  use  in  all  my  ad- 
vertising literature,  and 
on  all  shipments  of  Shep- 
pard  Stock.  It  distin- 
guishes the  stock  as  Gen- 
uine Sheppard  Quality! 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


61 


At  The  Shows 

I    HAVE  always  been  proud  of  the  record  Sheppard's  Anconas  have  made  in 
the  Show  Rooms  of  America.     They  have  won  consistently  and  brilliantly 
for  13  years.     At  America's  Premier  Show — Madison   Square  Garden — 
they  have   added   laurel   to   laurel. 

A  'great  many  people,  when  they  first  become  interested  in  chickens,  pay 
little  attention  to  the  prize-winning  ability  of  their  stock.  But  soon  a  love 

of  the  feathered  beauties  "gets  under  their 
skins"  and  they  long  to  test  out  their  merits 
in  competition  with  other  birds.  They  are 
anxious  to  see  how  their  pets  will  "stack  up" 
against  those  of  friends  and  neighbors,  and 
after  they  have  won  a  few  ribbons  in  local 
show-rooms,  ambition  knows  no  bounds. 

It's  a  great  game!  And  just  to  get  the 
spirit  of  the  thing  across  to  you,  I'm  going 
to  quote  some  of  the  comments  made  by 
Judges,  Poultry  Experts,  and  Poultry  Maga- 
zines. 

First  though,  here  are  my  1921  "Wins"  at 
Madison  Square  Garden: 

ROSE  COMB  SINGLE  COMB 


Cock— 1,  3,  4,  5 
Hen— 1,  2,  4 
Cockerel— 1,  2,  3,  5 
Pullet— 2,  3,  5 
Pen,  Old— 1,  3 
Pen,  Young — 1,  3 
Special  for  best  Rose 
Comb  Display 


Cock— 1,    2,    4,    5 
Hen— 2,   5 

Pullet— 1,  4 
Pen,    Old— 1,    2 
Pen,  Young — 2,  3 
Special  for  best  Single 
Comb  Dispaly 


GRAND  SILFER  CUP 

Won  at  Madison  Square 
Garden  for  best  display  of  An- 
condas,  both  single  and  Rose 
Combs  competing.  My  birds 
were  awarded  Club  Specials 
for  best  Pen,  Cock,  Cockerel, 
Hen  and  Pullet. 


By  Judge  Platt 

Mr.  Sheppard's  first  pullet  was  the  star  of 
the  whole  class.  Her  hackle  was  nicely  tipped 
with  white,  and  down  over  the  back  the  tipp- 
ing was  evenly  divided.  While  still  young, 
this  pullet  was,  in  our  opinion,  the  best  An- 
cona  female  ever  shown  in  the  Garden.  His 
Rose  Comb  cockerel  had  the  best  poise  and 
most^class  of  an  Rose  Comb  ever  seen  in  a 


62 


LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Victor 

First  Cockerel,  Madison  Square  Garden.      He    returned  ne.\t  year 
and  won  first  cock. 


AMONG     ANCONAS' 


63 


SILVER  CUP 


coop.  He  had  a  neat  head  and  was 
a  beautiful  bird,  and  you  could 
never  see  him  out  of  shape. 

By  J.  Leonard  Pfeuffer, 
Poultry  Editor 

I  just  want  to  say  that  the  An- 
conas  are  certainly  becoming  more 
populareach  and  every  season.  They 
can  thank  H.  C.  Sheppard  for  this, 
as  I  believe  he  is  doing  more  for  the 
Anconas  than  all  other  breeders  put 
together.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
Anconas  are  doing  a  great  deal  for 
him  also.  Well,  they  are  undoubt- 
edly a  very  handsome  fowl  and  when 
it  comes  to  producing  eggs  and  lots 
of  them,  they  will  take  no  back  seat 
for  any  variety. 

Reliable  Poultry  Journal 
By  Leo  J.  Brosemer 


For  the  best  general  display  of  Anconas 

in  the  International  Ancona 

Club  meetng 


types  of  combs,  we  have  ever  seen. 


At  Forest  City  Exposition  An- 
conas made  an  impressive  display. 
H.  Cecil  Sheppard,  Berea,  Ohio, 
cooped  the  best  exhibit  of 
Anconas,  representing  both 
His  birds  show  the  wonderful  progress 
he  has  been  making,  not  alone  in  their  approach  to  Standard  shape,  but 
also  in  preciseness  of  markings,  especially  in  the  Single  Combs.  Mr.  Shep- 
pard's  third  prize  Madison  Square  Garden  cockerel  won  first  as  a  cock  here, 
winning  over  his  first  cockerel  at  the  Garden.  This  bird  has  a  full  tail  of 
fine  color,  a  nicely  shaped,  full-breasted  body  and  grand  head  points,  includ- 
ing a  firm,  five-pointed  comb.  The  first,  second  and  third  prize  cockerels 
show  many  signs  of  Sheppard  quality.  First  was  a  stylish  bird,  beautifully 
mottled  with  fine  tips,  with  smart  colored  wings,  good  length  of  neck  and 
legs,  and  he  handled  himself  well,  standing  or  moving.  His  tail  had  the 
correct  natural  carriage.  Second  was  a  beautiful  model,  reachy  and  long 
in  body,  with  bright  red  eyes,  pure  white  lobes  and  full  sickled  tail.  His 
coloring  was  exquisite.  The  mottling  was  distributed  over  his  body  like 
flakes  of  snow  over  a  glossy  greenish-black  mantle,  and  when  slightly  excited 
he  exhibited  a  wonderfully  racy  style. 


64 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


MISS  RUTH 

She  went  to  New  York  and  won  first  as  pullet.      Returned  next  year 
and  again  won  first  prize  as  hen 


AMONG     ANCONAS" 


65 


F.  L.  Sewell 

To  lead  today,  a  fowl  must  pay.  Mr.  H.  Cecil  Sheppard  has  proved  that 
the  Anconas  pay — pay  handsomely.  It  has  given  great  satisfaction  to  his 
many  friends  to  watch  the  constant  improvement  in  his  brilliant  beauties, 
as  each  year  they  have  made  their  decided  win  at  Madison  Square  Garden, 
New  York,  where  the  world's  best  compete.  This  productive  Mediterranean, 
the  Ancona,  has  made  marked  progress  since  Mr.  Sheppard  first  realized 
its  earning  power. 


C"^ 

«  ^'" 

^  c 

T3    i 

M    u 

•*  «-o 

M-5  o  o 

e  « 

•£,  « 

e| 

"5  2-£ 

~  E 

«,  E 

Q.C 

^  „  « 

^•2  S 

x2 

3 

•-  K.y 

e-w 

3  S  E 

u  c 

Q.  ° 

o  .-*5 

T3      ) 

5 

"  o 

^ 

**•    u 

«-« 

M« 

^  ^ 

C 

5 

2-£  IS 

c 

.»  U 

>^ 

£  S 

4-1            ^ 

W   c 

2 

c  rt 

u 

4?"° 

0   g 

•«  i: 

—   w  -O 

^    w     X 

rt 

- 

i  o  S 

E 

12   X 

E- 

O-jjj  ° 

n 

• 

8.0 

^"S    • 

"^is 

u       ^0     . 

**«5** 

u. 

TREAT 

srrect  conditioi 
of  black  ant 
daily;  flaxseed 

o.   „  v 
W-SS^ 

•s  ««- 

.32 

"—  ""S 
Sou* 

5  S  o  E 

8 

o 

1 

o 

one  if  forced  fe 
ticed. 

'ithhold  fatty 
None  if  caused 
of  oviduct. 

I!1. 

I  S1 

u  v 

Pk 

—  -  = 

til! 

•o^S£ 
BC*-2 

«^S« 

_>    W    UW2 

||U 

'  JS   G   g"° 

f 

3   ^ 

£ 

2 

I 

0 

? 

u 

06 

C/2 

* 

/  - 

SO 

g,  rattling  in 
ion  of  bronchial 

e  of  mucus  in 
nflamed  and  full 

dark  in  color; 

ver  covered  with 
ish  spots. 

c 
•o 

down. 
Fat  in  abdominal 

f  foot,  lameness. 

c 

N 
JS 
3 

C 

E     i  A 

—      t  — 

V         "*   V 

u       "S   U 

"     •jvS 

JS         ^ 

w          c 

JS 

c 

0 

u 

JJ 

a 

or  green  excre- 
arrhea  and  thick 

tion  of  digestive 

SYMPT01 
POST  M 

-J 

M 

:^  . 
•ni^i 

a.J=S  3 
«  **      ** 

oody  discharg 
of  excrement. 
M.  Intestines  i 
of  mucus. 

3mb  and  head 
diarrhea. 
M.  Enlarged  li 
white  or  yellow 

3 
"u 

bdomen  hangs  > 
M.  Excessive  i 
cavity. 

bscess  of  sole  o 

J 

u 

Q.  v 

«  S 

j^2 

M||j 

'N   qj  u<   ^*  ^ 

T  . 

**    M 

right  yellowish 
ment;  severe  di 
mucus. 
.  M.  Inflammai 
organs. 

0<5      OJ 

5    o- 

0     Ou 

C/3 

<°- 

< 

u 

c/3      Ou 

00 

03              OH 

... 

,    • 

i 

1       U 

1 

• 

l/l 

5 

6 

a  £ 

"0 

"*£ 

£'" 

4) 

11 

»c 

c 

Q. 

-I 

o'C 

0. 

G 

O   O 

£  * 

s  I 

'i 

& 

E 

g  — 

-c3 

3 

V 

E    . 

51 

a® 

2    a 
w   E 

1 

-o 

"  c 

0 

o   « 

0  ° 

3  ^ 

^  5 

u 

o 

i 

j  cold  or 
from  cold, 

-".E 

li 

elonging  t 
known  as 

E 

o 

1   . 

at  in  abd 
t  of  oviduc 

£  e 

|| 
1*2 

04  - 

c»  {« 

JS 

Busing  com 
cold  or  dj 

sfactorily  d 

itions,  impi 

U 

«2 

11 

_Q 

J3J4 
U 

*•    c 

V 

v    g 

^1u 

.2^   t 

jS     O 

C8 

T3 
C 
0 

3    ^ 

|l 

si 

il 

MQ. 

«"o 

S  jj 

x    u 

II  ! 

111 
•a!J! 

M 

Q 

JS 

w 

V 

C/3 

O 

w 

,£, 

S 

J 

£ 

j 

| 

! 

i 

; 

1 

1 

| 

i 

CO 

7 

! 

•g 

] 

5 

i 

w 

! 

a 

H 

! 

1 

1 

s 

1 

i 

d 
•c 

1 

; 

3 

£ 

j 

- 

Bronch 

1 

09 

Blackht 

CO 

I 

a 

1 

Bumble 

Canker 

3 

u 

U 

1 

66 


'A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


s 

O   *• 

*0   u    o 

}J 

c 

JsS 

•52  i.s 

i'ii 

—   Jj   C   C   C   C 

X  O 

c 
tt 

'M 

2-c 

'^  w  §  t) 

3    o   t 

•^   "   3   3   3   3 

• 

15 

<o   "^ 

"a 

a 

«  .- 

M  °"  S"  ^ 

|I| 

w  w  a  a  a  a 

H 

V    4)    *J 

_>. 

.S  « 

E  ""  w' 

.5  cJii'M 

*>'"  —  ^     ^ 

•-  2 

"a 

j=  >  U 

^"o^. 

a 

3 

M 

"c.,5 

"3  =  *•  °_c 

II* 

•f.E-c  B«  ^u 

[,  * 

w 

M  iT 

*••  *>— 

w  u  X 

'e      v-    -  e 

• 

>—  — 

"2'"  ^  • 

(A 

C 

J    0 

•o  —  — 

C       *•*-   -j    -i 
5  f*         B  & 

2  --'S 

•5=     £  ^  £• 

&T  *« 

iff  S.I 

.2-d 
jaj 

*    3 

Jja 

E  £  K-5  3 

>,  «  3    <«  « 

•sll 

•^  *«~«  5 

^ 

II 

u      o 

S   "  c^ 

fl 

11 

I.i". 

|"'i-s- 

{H 

sls-sllf 

w  fi  cr5  5  • 

,  2 

S3 

6 

=1 

S 

"O^i'5'w 

X 

w  ** 

5^ 

u 

W2 

iii 

C/3 

Jlfll 

Ills 

U   O        >   >   >   e 

iliiiil 

u 

.  — 

fcc 

0 

^2       TJ 

£    "5*5 

«=    i   = 

£2 

a 

a    "c^ 

c 

ii 

£2     5 

3       S 

°^'2 

u   ^ 

3 

a  s| 

tt-V 

>    V 
«    M 

21 

IN 

Ft  and  water; 
ensive. 

visited  frequi 
essful  attempt 

twisted,  rupt 
rge  egg. 

:ad  dressings 
ea. 
nlarged  and  1 
accumulatiol 
restines. 

white  spots 
es  and  face, 
or  like  musty  ( 

tl 

-       « 

M     X 

a 

c 
_u 

» 

c       e  - 

4,           C    C 

Jill 

'S 

E 

w 

o 

1 

«    .  w 

*l  * 

til 

iccrement,  sol 
color  and  off 

4J     U            £  — 

Mr 

l>£ 

S'ijS 

-"S"^' 

H 

M^3 
=  E  S 

«  o  at 
g  u  « 

^•sl 

Ij 

«.£      w'a 

"U 
e 

is 

IS 

Cb 

W 

05           B- 

S    &.' 

C/3 

J 

a. 

ea    a: 

Q 

•0 

'o  ^ 

V 

• 

,; 

o 

o 

Q 

*£ 

a  w 

JC 

a 

J2 

•JJ 

c 

—  "S 

0 

k. 

— 

"(5 

J! 

1 

§«s 

£?~ 

"O    C 

c 

0 

M 

-o 
c 
ri 

»r  w 

V    M 

.2.  3 

J.2 

§ 

•^ 
jg 

•5 

V 

**"^ 

M^S 

'C  o 

S 

"°  .ti 
^  M 

1 

u 

M 

« 

•o 

w 

X 
V 

•s 

U 
N 

M 

0   w 

cn 

Abnormal  eg 
rangement  i 

Overfeeding  o 
unsuited  to 

Fungous  disea 

Lack  of  meat 
sites;  bad  h 

Exposure  to  c 

Gapeworm  at 
windpipe. 

o   _ 

ll 

i! 

I 

; 

j 

| 

1 

; 

•O 

e 

| 

1 

- 

! 

S 

8 

»' 

«t 
ja 

[ 

M 

, 

>• 

rt 

•s 

i 

5S 

fi 

— 

i 

Q   SB 

! 

§ 

1 

I 

I 

1 

S 

S 

| 

ll 

i 

U 

| 

s 

I 

1 

> 

I 

i 

M 

5 

f 

AMONG     AN  CON  AS' 


67 


if!" 

•o 

c 
• 
c 

•o  *"    • 

!g| 

o 

C   u   C 

'  §,!!. 

^ 

c 

•o 

V 

E 

"     M^ 

'          11     M    CO 

=   « 

s^s 

•••ss 

0 

£  >, 

(8 

.  125 

w    u"'' 

xl  "   j 

"o-S 

5    O    u 

>>**"  <^ 

1C  Sx«        5 

w.E 

a 

-*Q  « 

"S.JS'O      ' 

—  js*"*         rt 

S"° 

3 

"o      « 

^  U    *>  "rt 

ss 

0 

S-|S-H 

•-  «  £    *° 

c 

• 

s4  § 

S  2  ~  2 

^S    | 

p 

"x 

V 

oil  n  2 

"    3   c    0 

3--  n  a 

H.9-S& 

1 

J 

Q 

J1:I 

C/3 

c 

V 

H 
c 

1  sl  • 

*S  ^  £ 

|i| 

2  ^ 

c 

**•  c'>  *> 

JC    0.^3 

;3l 

•* 

J*  °  ..  «  • 

w  .  ^?  O 

»•? 

3    f«    "> 

S  c  w 

5j  * 

2  «* 

"5  t-f     3 

U  U  • 

||.l 

•SJ 

J=vJJ 

^gll8 

c    '_« 

II 

S| 

_C\3T3"S    <« 

o^S 

•1^3    C 

—   V 

«  s 

.§•* 

"*"  ft'ITi  u 

«  -"S  « 

--    -    - 

a  w 

—   C 

^   B,'^  T3  J< 

-0   *"  «   3 

4)  ^  *T 

jl 

|4 

SxX=S 
<«    4>    4(  <-C    U 

|^JS 

11 

11 

J=  T  0 

I.S-* 

'C  'C 

W     **     Cfl 

**-  E  "^ 

<~  2 

<L>    S 

u.^'  w 

3   2 

,  c 

c  -S? 

r;    £    C 

S  c  c 

c  " 

^  e 

•5  2  .0 

2  u  § 

11 

°" 

EC*     ^ 

u     .S 

^  xi2 

i: 

lf| 

^S-8 

EJs 

i  ..  « 

•£Sg§ 

.2  "  >"^ 

-    M 

^  £•£ 

x  S  c  o 

w             "^ 

II 
|g 

ill 

>    Q.  Q. 
1) 

v: 

"2  2  *»'S 
S  Site  j> 

j"- 

w 

i 

jlil 

i 

JM 

or  Diphtheria  

I 

^ 

Q, 

^ 

8 

3 

1 

2 

1 

1 

68  "A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Here  Are  a  Dozen  Points  That  Practically 
Summarize  the  Desirability  of  Anconas 

IT  WILL  be  well  to  bear  in  mind  as  you  study  these  twelve  points,  that 
each  one  of  them  is  a  demonstratable  fact — and  not  mere  theory.  Thous- 
ands breeders  all  over  this  smiling  land  of  ours  have  proven  to  their  ut- 
most satisfaction,  every  one  of  these  twelve  distinctions.  I  am  happy  to  set 
them  down  in  this  brief  way  so  that  before  you  end  your  little  journey  a- 
mong  Anconas,  you  may,  in  these  last  few  moments,  form  a  mental  picture 
of  the  attractiveness  of  Anconas  from  every  standpoint. 

As  I  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  trip,  I  am  writing  without  prejudice 
but  with  unbounded  enthusiasm — you  cannot  blame  me  for  being  enthusiastic 
when  I  have  secured  such  results,  can  you?  And  keep  in  mind  that  my 
experience  includes  many  other  kinds  of  poultry — not  just  Anconas.  I 
concentrated  upon  them  after  considerable  expensive  and  trying  experiments 
with  other  birds.  You  very  seldom  find  a  person  changing  from  Anconas 
once  they  get  the  right  start  with  these  busy  queens  of  our  feathered  flock. 

To  back  up  the  points  I  am  going  to  mention  with  evidence  from  the  field, 
I  am  adding  to  each  of  them  a  testimonial  or  two  from  satisfied  customers. 
I  have  hundreds  more  like  the  few  I  am  printing. 

Point  1 — Heavy  Layers 

Anconas  lay  large,  white  eggs,  producing  them  at  the  least  possible  cost 
per  dozen.  The  cost  per  dozen  will  run  as  low  as  ten  to  fifteen  cents.  There 
are  no  better  egg  producers  anywhere.  A  "Famous"  Ancona  holds  the 
known  egg  record  for  a  single  bird,  in  the  hands  of  an  amateur,  laying  331 
eggs  during  one  year — this  record  being  produced  in  a  small  backyard  poultry 
house,  cold  and  drafty  in  winter.  And  my  customer  assures  me  that  no 
particular  thought  was  given  to  the  hen — she  was  simply  taken  care  of  as 
though  she  had  been  an  inexpensive  mongrel  chicken. 

"Famous"  Anconas  also  hold  the  world's  record  for  flock  average,  this 
being  produced  by  another  amateur,  his  pullets  laying  an  average  of 
256  eggs  each  for  entire  flock  for  one  year. 

It  seems  difficult  to  associate  large  white  eggs  with  a  bird  that  is  compara- 
tively so  small  as  the  Ancona,  but,  nevertheless,  these  eggs  are  of  such  a  size, 
color  and  uniformity,  as  to  command  the  very  best  market  prices.  An 
Ancona  egg  weighs  about  two  ounces  or  slightly  less. 

New  York — My  flock  of  Sheppard's  Anconas  proved  far  ahead  of  any 
other  chickens  I  ever  owned.  One  hen  laid  over  100  eggs  consecutively, 
never  missing  a  day  during  that  time.  G.W.D. 


.WONG    .4NCONJ&'  69 

Ohio — My  25  Sheppard's  Anconas  gave  me  more  eggs  than  other  farmers 
who  have  from  100  to  150  hens.  M.T. 

Point  2 — Early  Layers 

Pullets  begin  laying  at  an  early  age.  The  average  seems  to  be  between 
four  and  five  months.  This  is  one  of  the  factors  that  helps  to  make  a  flock 
of  Anconas  unusually  profitable — and  profit  is  one  of  the  big  things  in  the 
poultry  business. 

New  York — Exactly  four  months  from  the  date  of  their  birth,  my  Anconas 
started  laying.  N.Y. 

Ohio — Pullets  began  laying  when  four  months  and  nine  days  old.  They 
are  certainly  egg  machines.  F.A.B. 

Point  3 — Winter  Layers 

Anconas  are  A-No.  1  winter  layers — just  at  the  time  when  eggs  are  com- 
manding highest  prices.  They  require  no  concentrated  or  expensive  foods. 

Massachusetts — The  middle  of  February  found  my  pullets  laying  76%  and 
we  are  having  our  coldest  winter  in  33  years.  J.W.B. 

Illinois — December  1st  I  got  my  first  eggs,  and  the  Anconas  haven't  missed 
a  day  since,  even  last  week  when  it  was  10  below  zero. 

Point  4 — Small  Eaters 

Anconas  eat  less  than  any  other  bird.  This  is  a  big  point  to  consider, 
especially  when  all  feed  must  be  purchased,"as  is  the  case  with  the  suburbanite, 
and  when  prices  are  high. 

Wisconsin — Are  getting  splendid  results,  40  to  48  eggs  a  day  from  55  hens 
— and  on  a  minimum  of  feed!  G.A.P. 

Ohio — I  want  to  get  rid  of  my  other  chickens,  for  they  eat  about  twice 
as  much  as  my  Anconas  and  lay  fewer'eggs.  L.M.C. 

Point  5 — Beauty 

Anconas  are  beautiful  birds.  A  flock  of  them  lends  a  sparkle  to  any  land- 
scape andfcatches  the  eye  of  all  lovers  of  feathered  beauty.  The  brilliant 
red  combs  stand  out  beautiful  against  the  black  and  white  background,  with 
its  lustrous  greenish  sheen. 

Louisiana — The  two  pens  of  Anconas  arrived  in  good  condition.  They 
are  beautiful,  alert,  and  happy.  D.W.R. 

Alabama — Your  Anconas — now  mine — are  not  only  beautiful,  but  profit- 
able as  well.  As  I  am  an  artist,  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  have  my  eye  pleased. 

E.P.B. 


70 


1A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


Point  6 — Fine,  Flavory  Table  Fowls 

Ancona  meat  is  of  fine  grain  and  excellent  flavor.  They  dress  for  quality 
rather  than  quantity. 

New   York — I  have  been  breeding  your  Anconas  for  over  12  years,  and  I 

never  had  any  kind  of  hens  that  I  liked  better  for  layers  or  table  use.      F.J.C. 

From  American  Poultry  Advocate — The  Ancona,  like  all  heavy  layers  of  the 

Mediterranean  class,  does  not  produce  a  big  carcass  for  roasting  purposes, 

but  what  meat  it  does  give  is  juicy  and  of  good  flavor.  M.K.B. 

Point  7 — Vigorous  Baby  Chicks 

Baby  chicks  are  hardy  and  vigorous.  The  death  rate  is  low.  They  are 
independent  little  rascals,  quick  to  develop  to  broiler  stage.  Fertility  of 
the  eggs  and  strength  of  the  germs  insure  a  good  hatch. 

Colorado — Out  of  14  eggs  I  hatched  13  nice  healthy  chicks,  which  I  must 
say  is  very  good.  H.N.P. 

Wisconsin — 14  baby  chicks  from  the  15  eggs,  and  they  are  all  healthy  look- 
ing and  lively.  N.F.H. 

California — Order  of  eggs  received  O.  K.,  and  I  never  had  a  more  lively 
hunch  of  chicks  hatched.  W.E. 

Point  8 — One  Standard  Color  Scheme 

There  is  but  one  color — the  mottled  black  and  white.  If  a  person  wants 
Anconas,  he  can  get  down  to  business  with  them  without  discussing  such 
colors  as  brown,  buff,  red,  white,  black,  silver,  barred,  penciled,  Columbian, 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  71 


partridge,  and  so  on.  Naturally,  I  firmly  believe  that  Anconas  can't  be 
improved  upon  in  this  respect.  Considerable  confusion  and  opportunity 
for  dissatisfaction  is  avoided. 

Point  9 — Quiet  Birds 

Anconas  are  not  wild  as  some  people  suppose.  They  possess  more  poise 
than  most  Mediterranean  birds — and  yet  haven't  a  lazy  bone  in  their  bodies. 

Pennsylvania — Our  Anconas  are  dandies — so  tame  and  nice.  They  eat 
out  of  my  hand.  L.S. 

British  Columbia — I  have  kept  my  Anconas  in  a  yard  with  fence  only  four 
feet  high.  They  are  very  tame.  P.S. 

Missouri — My  Anconas  are  so  tame  I  can  pick  them  up  at  any  time.     B.F. 

Point  10 — Anconas  are  Non-Setters 

You  seldom  hear  an  Ancona  cluck,  and  a  broody  hen  is  a  rare.  bird.  In 
these  days  of  artificial  incubators,  this  is  a  valuable  attribute,  for  Anconas 
refuse  to  take  time  out  for  this  old-fashioned  practice  of  "setting". 

Point  11 — Great  Demand 

There  is  a  tremendous  and  increasing  demand  for  stock  and  eggs  and  all 
worthy  Ancona  breeders  are  scarcely  able  to  fill  orders.  The  average  profit 
per  hen,  whether  used  as  utility  stock  on  a  commerical  egg  farm,  or  as  fancy 
stock  to  produce  eggs  for  hatching,  will  vary  from  32.00  to  325.00,  depending 
upon  conditions,  the  fame  of  the  breeder  and  the  economy  of  care  and  opera- 
tion. It  is  a  mighty  poor  manager  who  can't  make  some  profit  from  thorough- 
bred Anconas.  Every  year  I  have  to  turn  down  orders. 

Indiana — I  sold  all  the  Ancona  chicks  I  could  raise  right  at  my  door. 
My  neighbors  were  anxious  for  them.  Mrs.  E. 

Michigan — From  March  18  to  June  10  we  sold  hatching  eggs  to  the  amount 
of  366.00.  July  1  we  sold  a  number  of  cockerels  to  market  for  about  31-00 
apiece.  S.K. 

Rhode  Island — I  am  the  only  one  in  this  section  who  seems  to  have  Anconas, 
and  everyone  is  interested  in  them.  F.B. 

California — We  have  about  600  Anconas  and  are  very  proud  of  them. 
Our  neighbors  are  becoming  very  much  interested  in  Anconas.  L.J.B. 


72 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


SHEPPflRDS  'm  ANCONRS 


Business  is  Business 

There  are  times  when  I  hate  to  crate  up  a  snappy  pen  of  Anconas  and  part 
with  them.  But  Business  is  Business! — and  when  my  cusomers  pay  for  the 
best,  I  give  it  to  them! 


Point  12 — Unusual  Prize  Opportunities 

There  are  two  thoroughly  organized  Ancona  clubs  to  stimulate  the  ex- 
hibition interests  of  Ancona  breeders.  This  gives  zest  to  the  game  and 
there  are  always  plenty  of  opportunities  to  win  ribbons,  medals,  cash  and 
trophies  at  county,  state  and  special  fairs  and  exhibits. 

Sheppard's  "Famous"  Anconas  have  the  champion  show  record  by  win- 
ning three  times  as  many  first  prizes  as  all  my  competitors  together  at  the 
world's  greatest  shows,  including  London,  England,  and  Madison  Square 
Garden,  for  the  past  thirteen  years.  They  have  the  greatest  egg  record — 
256  average  for  a  flock,  and  world's  individual  record  of  331. 

Ontario — Pullet  arrived  O.  K.  and  we  trimmed  the  party  we  were  after 
in  fine  shape!  H.L.S. 

Illinois — Took  first,  second,  and  third  prizes  on  hens  at  our  local  show. 

E.A.R. 


AMONG     ANCONAS"  73 


The  Last  Lap 


AS   soon   as   I   conlcuded   writing  the  foregoing  chapters,   which    consti- 
tutes our  little  iourney  among  Anconas,  I  handed  the  manuscript  to  a 
friend  whose  advice  is  pretty  good  in  matters  of  this  kind,  and  asked  him 
to  read  it  and  criticize  it.     Of  course  I  made  a  few  changes  which  he  suggested, 
but  what  he  said  to  me  was  something  like  this: 

"That's  a  very  interesting  little  journey  and  you  have  done  quite  well 
at  telling  the  entire  Ancona  story  without  being  scientific  about  it.  It  seems 
to  me  as  though  this  is  going  to  comprise  the  world's  leading  text  book  on 
Anconas  for  some  years  to  come — but  this  book  doesn't  seem  quite  complete 
to  me.  You  have  painted  very  nicely  the  charm  and  beauty  of  Anconas. 
You  have  emphasized  conservatively  but  enthusiastically  the  absolute  position 
of  leadership  these  birds  occupy  when  it  comes  to  egg  yield.  You  have 
pointed  out  one  advantage  after  another  and  explained  these  merits  so  that 
almost  anyone  could  understand  and  appreciate  them. 

"But  it  doesn't  seem  to  me  as  though  you  have  sufficiently  emphasized 
the  general  position  of  leadership  Anconas  are  coming  to  occupy  in  the  entire 
poultry  kingdom,  nor  have  you  stressed  sufficiently  how  important  it  is  that 
thousands  of  poultry  breeders  throughout  the  country  should  recognize 
that  they  are  losing  money,  losing  time  and  losing  their  patience  and  becom- 
ing discouraged  with  chickens  because  of  making  the  wrong  start  with  the 
wron^  kind  of  birds. 

"It  almost  seems  to  me  as  though  it  is  intensely  the  common  sense  thing 
to  any  man  who  owns  poultry  of  any  kind  today,  to  sit  down  and  write  to 
all  of  the  leading  breeders  of  Anconas  and  study  into  the  merit  of  each  respec- 
tive strain  and  then,  if  he  is  thoroughly  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that  the 
facts  and  reasons  you  have  put  down  in  this  book,  Mr.  Sheppard,  are  correct, 
let  him  stop  losing  money  with  poultry,  let  him  stop  losing  valuable  time, 
let  him  stop  losing  his  patience  and  courage,  and  start  raising  Anconas. 

"This  will  mean  a  decided  economic  gain  in  the  country.  It  would  en- 
courage more  suburbanites  to  raise  chickens.  Then,  Mr.  Sheppard,  if  you 
could  make  the  readers  of  this  book  realize  the  thrill  of  satisfaction  and  pleasure 
it  gives  to  receive  a  box  from  the  express  company  marked  'Baby  Chicks' 
in  great  big  type,  eagerly  take  this  package,  cut  the  twine,  raise  the  lid  and 
for  the  first  time  get  a  glimpse  at  beautiful,  fluffy  little  baby  Ancona  chicks 
— lively  as  crickets,  as  soft  and  tiny  and  sweet  as  a  bed  of  pansies — and  if 
you  could  make  them  realize  how  simple  it  is  with  a  little  horse  sense,  to  take 
these  baby  chicks  and  successfully  rear  them — and  then  carry  the  mental 
picture  a  little  bit  further  and  make  them  see  the  low  cost  of  breeding  Anconas, 


74 


"A    LITTLE    JOURNEY 


and  then,  can't  you  in  some  way,  put  these  students  of  the  Ancona  book 
into  the  atmosphere  so  that  they  will  picture  the  all  important  'Little  Journey' 
— the  journey  from  home  to  poultry  house  —  the  journey  which  terminates  in 
finding  of  large,  white  eggs  or  in  the  failure  to  find  them. 

"If  you  could  make  these  students  realize  that  the  little  journey  to  the 
Ancona  poultry  house  is  always  successful — even  if  made  in  the  dead  of 
bitter  cold  winter — in  the  blustery  New  England  winters  of  Maine  or  Canada 
— and  if  you  could  carry  the  students  of  this  book  from  one  Show  to  another, 
sweeping  before  them  glances  and  comments  of  admiration,  capturing  worth- 
while prizes — if  you  could  paint  a  composite  picture  of  the  superior  results 
secured  from  raising  Anconas,  then  I  should  call  this  manuscript  complete!" 

I  have  set  this  down  just  about  as  my  friend  gave  it  to  me,  because  it  seems 
as  though  he  had  the  true  Ancona  breeders'  enthusiastic  view-point.  Accept 
every  word  of  his  discussion  as  gospel  truth — which  it  is. 


Ancona  breeders  are  invited  to 
join  the  International  Ancona  Club. 
Membership  and  annual  dues  31.00 
per  year. 

H.  CECIL  SHEPPARD,  President, 
Berea,  Ohio. 


AMONG    ANCONAS" 


75 


Here  too,  our  "Little  Journey"  ends — under  the  Giant 
Oak 

Having  accompanied  me  on  this  trip,  I  believe  you 
will  understand  why  my  Poultry  Plant  is  known  from 
coast  to  coast  as  "Ancona  Headquarters" . 

In  my  Office,  just  a  few  rods  from  the  Oak,  is  a  big 
stack  of  "Famous"  Catalogs.  I'll  be  mighty  glad  to 
send  you  a  copy — with  my  compliments — if  you  write 
me  at  Box  25,  Berea,  Ohio.  H.C.S. 


VB  1 6326 


4069JKS 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


